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MANSFIELD DAILY SHIELD 



EVERY EVENING EXCEPT SUNDAY. 



The Shield Publishing Co. 

WILIvIAM LAWRENCE, Editor. 



^S M. D. FRAZIER, Maaager. 

DE/VIOCRATIC AND THE OFFICAL ORGAN 

e|»| of the riajority Party in Mansfield and Richland County, Ohio. 



*! MANSFIELD DAILY SHIELD 

4^ Dail5% Delivered by Carrier, Ten Cents a Week; by Mail, Ten 
Cents Per Week. $2.50 a Year, Strictly in Advance. 



The Shield is the oldest paper in Mansfield, and 
is one of the oldest in Ohio, having been established 
in 1818, and has been published under the nc^me of 
the "Shield" since 1836, sixty-nine years. 

The office is equipped with Campbell's New Mod- 
el Web Perfecting Press, two Linotype machines, 
Scripps-McRae Press Report and a full corps of Rep- 
orters and Correspondents. The Shield is Mansfield's 
Leading Newspaper, and Prints the News while it 
is News. 

In connection with the paper the company con- 
ducts one of the finest job offices in the city. Work 
guaranteed to be the best and prices lowest consider- 
ing the quality of the work. A trial order is solicited. 

THE YIELD OF THE SHIELD: 

%\ RESULTS TO ITS ADVERTISERS, NEWS TO ITS SUBSCRIBERS. 



;4» 









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I 









PROCEEDIIVGS 



OF THE 



RICHLAND COUIVTY 

HISTORICAL 

SOCIETY 

FROM 1899 TO 1905, INCLUSIVE 



COMPILKD BY THE SECRETARY 



OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY: 

presideivt. gen. r. brinkerhoff 

vice president. hon. m. b. bushivell 
Secretary, a. j. baughman 

Treasurer, hox. av. s. Cappeller 
Curator, E. AVILKIIVSOIV 



:ma]vsfield, ohio 

PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY 
1905 

PRICE oO CENTS 



Officers of the Richland County Historical Society. 







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Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, President. Hon. M. B. Bushnell, Vice President. 





A. J. Baughman, Secretary. Hon. W. S. Cappelier, Treasurer. 



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PROCEEDINGS OF THE 

Richland County Historical Society 



1899-1905. 



First Meeting of the Richland County Historical Society, Held 
at the Mansfield Casino, Saturday, June 10, 1899. 

The first annual meeting of the Richland County Historical Society was 
held at the Casino, Saturday, June 10, 1899, and was an interesting event in 
the annals of the county. The day was auspicious and the attendance was 
quite large. The exercises were opened at 10 a. m., and prayer was offered 
by the Rev. Dr. B. B. Fairfield. An address of welcome was made by Gen. R. 
Brinkerhoff, the president of the society. 

Gen. Brinkerhoff 's Address of Welcome. 

Ladies and Gentlemen; — On behalf of the Richland County Historical 
Society it is my pleasant duty, as its president, to bid you welcome to the 
entertainment planned by its members for today. Primarily the purpose of 
this meeting is to arouse a more active interest in the preservation of the 
facts of Richland county history, and especially of its pioneer history, but in 
doing so we expect to have a good time for ourselves, and with that object 
in view a picnic dinner has been arranged for and will be in order at the 
close of our opening exercises. 

As originally organized our society dedicated itself almost entirely to 
pioneer history, but as the years went by we found that the sons of pioneers 
were also making history worthy of preservation, and therefore we now seek 
to preserve the facts of current history as well as those of the past. Today, 
doubtless, the foremost topic of consideration will be the pioneers of Rich- 
land county and their accomplishments, but, other topic were not excluded. 

The Richland County Historical Society had its beginning manj'' j-ears 
ago. Its first meeting, so far as I have any knowledge, was in 1856, when a 
few of us met at Hemlock Falls, in Worthington township, and among those 
present were Dr. William Bushnell, of Mansfield, Dr. James P. Henderson, of 
Newville, and the Rev. James F. McGaw, of Washington village. Dr. Bush- 
nell was one of our early physicians and knew every man, woman and child 
among the pioneer families. Dr. Henderson was. the archaeologist of the 
county and had accumulated a large collection of prehistoric specimens and 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



historical relics. The Rev. McGaw was uot a pioneer, but he was deeply in- 
terested in pioneer history and was willing to aid in its preservation. Hem- 
lock Falls at that time had no name, but we gave it that name because of the 
Hemlock trees that grew about it. 

I was then comparatively a neM^comer in the county, but my wife was the 
grand-daughter of a pioneer, and that fact interested me in pioneer history. 
I was also the publisher of a newspaper and many of my subscribers were 
pioneers, so that I had a large acquaintance among them. Before we ad- 
journed that day we formed a definite purpose to attempt the preservation of 
pioneer history. Of those who attended that meeting, I am alone left to tell 
the story. 

During the next three years, the Rev. McGaw and I gathered a great deal 
of pioneer history, and I published it week by week in the Mansfield Herald. 
McGaw wrote up the southern townships and I took up the others, and in that 
way we secured the facts from pioneers then living. 

We were really making a good deal of progress in securing the facts of 
the early history of the county, when all at once the Civil War came upon us 
like a tornado, and during the years it lasted there was no room for anything 
else. However, the war at last came to an end, and the turbulent years that fol 
lowed quieted down, and finally we were able to remember that Richland 
county had a pioneer history as well as a war history, and thereupon in the 
autumn of 1869 a call was issued for a pioneer picnic in connection with the 
county fair in Mansfield. To this invitation there was a gratifying response, 
and the result was that a Richland County Pioneer and Historical Society was 
organized, with the following officers: Alex. C. Welch, of Springfield town- 
ship, president; Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, secretary, and Henry C. Hedges, record- 
er. There was a vice president named for each township in the county. With 
the aid and encouragement of this society, we again proceeded to gather the 
facts of early history, which were duly written up and published in the col- 
umns of the Ohio Liberal, a newspaper published in Mansfield a few years 
later. At the meeting held in 18G9, over two hundred persons were present 
whose residence in the county antedated 1820. And at that meeting it was 
resolved that to be Entitled to the term of a Richland county pioneer a person 
must have lived in the county prior to 1820. 

Meetings of this society were held in 1876 and 1879. The meeting in 1876 
was held July 4th on the public square of Mansfield, and was addressed by 
Gen. R. Brinkerhoff. This was called the Centennial meeting as that was the 
Centennial year. The meeting of 1879 was held at the fair grounds, and was 
also a Fourth of July celebration, and was attended by nearly two thousand 
people. A number of speeches were made, and the late Rosella Rice gave a 
paper on the times of the pioneers. 

Twenty-three years had now elapsed since the first organized effort was 
inaugurated to preserve the pioneer history of Richland county, and it was 
deemed advisable to put into more permanent form the results of research 
and so all our gatherings of history went into the hands of the publishing 
firm of A. A. Graham & Co., and were concentrated and added to by a house 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



to house canvass and published in 1880, in a large quarto volume of nearly 
one thousand pages, and the Richland county society for the time being came 
to an end. 

Since the publication of that volume, valuable contributions to local his- 
tory have been made and published in our newspapers by Henry C. Hedges 
and by A. J. Baughman, our secretary, and it is hoped they will continue their 
work for many years to come, and that in due time their contrbutions will be 
gathered into new volumes for permanent preservation. Certainly our society 
as now re-organized, will give them every possible aid and encouragement. 





E. WILKINSON. 



Another man who is doing valuable work for our society is Edward Wilk- 
inson, the curator of the Mansfield Memorial Museum, and the custodian of 
our society. Records of any kind, whether historic or pre-historic, if sent to 
him will be carefully preserved and classified. Mr. Wilkinson is preserving 
matters of local interest, clipped from the newspapers, in scrap-book form, 
which will be of great value in the future. 

The work of preserving history, and especially pioneer history, is not a 
useless work and should be continued, and annual memorial gatherings should 
not be omitted. As I have said elsewhere, the settlement of Ohio was a 
mighty work, and those who did it v;ere men of iron nerve,of undaunted cour- 
age and persistent force. God Almighty has so arranged and constituted the 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



nature of things that nothing great or good, or strong in matter or in mind, 
comes to the earth except it comes through struggle and through storm. It 
is this law and struggle under it, which has made Ohio, of all the states of the 
Union, foremost in war and foremost in the councils of the nation. 

The original settlers of Richland county have passed away, but to them 
we of a later generation owe a debt of gratitude which we can only repay by 
imitating their virtues, and by perpetuating in our children and through 
them to the generations of the future, the free institutions and the christian 
civilization which they bestowed upon us. With this purpose in view, we 
have convened this assembly and are glad to welcome our fellow citizens who 
have accepted our invitation to be present. 

The Hon. Andrew Stevenson, mayor of Bellville, responded to the address 
of welcome in his usual eloquent style, and received the applause of the 
audience. 

Dr. A. Sheldon.of Norwalk.secretary of the Firelands' Historical Society, be- 
ing present, was called upon and gave an interesting talk on the history and 
work of the society. His remarks were attentively listened to by the audi- 
ence, especially by the members of the Richland society, who are anxious to 
hear and willing to learn of those who have had experience in historical 
work. 

A recess was taken and a basket dinner partaken of. 

The afternoon session was devoted principally to toasts and responses, 
under the direction' of George F. Carpenter as toastmaster. 

The Hon. W. S. Kerr spoke of "Our Country," and as Mr. Kerr is in the 
front rank of the public speakers of the day, not only upon the platform and 
huskings, but in the halls of congress, it seems needless to say that his speech 
on this occasion was not only able, eloquent and pati'iotic, but received the 
closest attention and the most hearty applause. In conclusion Mr. Kerr paid 
a high, but deserved, tribute to the pioneers and their work. 

The Hon. C. E. McBride responded to the toast, "The Ohio Centennial." 
Mr. McBride is the centennial commissioner from this congressional district 
and in his usual hap] y and expressive way explained and gave historical rea- 
sons for the location of the centennial exhibition at Toledo. He spoke of the 
scope of the exhibition, and explained that although it was intended to cele- 
brate the one hundredth anniversary of Ohio's admission into the Union, it is 
to be more comprehensive, and will include all the states originally known 
as the Northwest territory, and that Indiana, Illinois and Michigan have al- 
ready joined Ohio in making handsome appropriations for the preparatory work 
of the exhibition. 

Hon. W. S. Cappeller's Speech. 

The Hon. W. S. Cai;i)eller spoke of the "Richland County Press, and 
compared the newsi)apers of the past with those of the present, showing the 
great advance that had been made in "the lever that moves the world." In 
the course of his remarks Mr. Cappeller said: 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



"Richland county, with its population of 40,000, supports 14 newspapers. 
Ohio, with 88 counties, has two or more newspapers in every county, and in 
over 450 towns of the great Buckeye state, there are published more than 
1,200 newspapers, of which 172 are dailies, and over 900 weekly and semi- 
weekly. Of all these countless thousands of copies which find their way into 
homes, the counting rooms, shops and offices of our people, weekly and daily, 
be it said to their credit, all of them have an ambition and purpose to inform 
the people, to educate and mal^e men and society better and to elevate the 
standard of our civilization. 

"It is claimed by newspaper people and admitted by almost all, that the 
newspapers of the country ferret out and bring to justice, directly or indirect- 
ly, more criminals than the officers of the law, and along with these thousands 
is to be classed the many who are honest and upright only from fear of news- 
paper exposure. The newspaper field is, however, not an inviting one. It has 
its cares, its solicitudes, its anxieties, drawbacks and financial reverses. All 
is not gold that glitters. Newspaper publishers are manufacturers of a com- 
modity whose sale is limited to a prescribed territory, and within a few hours 
of the publication. 

"The farmer may grow and harvest his crops and bide his time for the 
best market. Not so with the newspaper publisher. The manufacturer of 
any and every other kind of goods, wares or merchandise, necessity or luxury, 
can select his own market and his own time in which to dispose of his manu- 
factured goods. Nor is this all — in slack times he can reduce his operating 
expenses and thus economize, but not so with the newspaper. With the editor 
it is a constant daily, weelvly grind. The expense account going, he must pro- 
cure that kind of news that his readers want, and get it up in the most at- 
tractive manner, and into the homes of the people at' the very earliest mo- 
ment of time — the people now want news fresh and hot from the griddle. 

"It is well understood among newspaper publishers that there is no other 
business, trade or profession in which so much capital has been lost and in 
which there is so much risk. Within the past fifteen years in this city alone, 
there has been lost in the newspaper business, and lost beyond hope of re- 
covery or reward, more than $.50,000 in hard earned money, and the seven 
little grassy mounds in the local ne\yspaper cemetery within that period 
where lie the remains of "a long felt want," each bear silent testimony of the 
scythe of Death, while upon each headstone is inscribed: 
"Beneath this stone lies a mistaken ambition, an expensive hope, an idle 

dream." 

The Hon. H. C. Hedges spoke of "The Richland Bar," and no one could 
have handled the subject better, for he personally knew May, Parker, Stew- 
ard, the Bartleys, Kirkwood, Brinkerhoff and other men who stood upon the 
top round of the legal ladder, not only in Richland county, but in the state. 

The Rev. Dr. H. L. Wiles spoke of the "Richland County Clergy," and paid 
a glowing tribute to the pioneer preachers who braved dangers and endured 
hardships to carry the Cross into the wilderness and proclaim the message of 
peace and good will upon the western frontier. 



10 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



Jerry Needham responded to the toast, "The Richland County Farmers," 
and spoke of the progress that had been made in their line, and told of the 
farmer boys and girls who have attained distinction in other callings. 

Owing to the fact that the Casino had been engaged for a matinee, two 
numbers on the program had to be omitted — that of "The Pioneer Doctors," 
by Dr. George Mitchell, and "Richland County, Past and Present," by Capt. 
I. N. Thompson. The "best of the wine" had been reserved for the close of 
the feast, but the treat was missed. 

Miss Angle sang "The Star Spanggle Banner" sweetly and well, the audi- 
ence, led by Capt. A. H. Condict, joined in the chorus, with Dwight Smith at 
the piano. 

After the singing of the long-metre doxology, benediction was pronovmced 
by the Rev. A. B. Putnam, and the company dispersed, happy with the day's 
ouving. 



SECOND ANNUAL MEETING. 

The Richland County Historical Society held its second annual meeting 
in the common pleas coui-t room of the Mansfield Court House, on Saturday, 
June 2, 1900. The meeting was called to order by the president. Gen. R. 
Brinkerhoff, and after prayer by the Rev. A. B. Putnam, an address of wel- 
come was delivered by Mayor Huntington Brown. 

Responses to the address of welcome were made by Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, 
president of the Richland County Historical Society, and by the Hon. Rush 
R. Sloane, of Sandusky, president of the Firelands Historical Society. This 
closed the morning session. 

At the afternoon session, an address was delivered by the Hon. Andrew 
Stevenson, on the Richland County Pioneers. The Hon. C. E. McBride then 
addressed the society, his topic being the Progress of a Century. 

The Hon. Rush R. Sloane gave an address of great interest in regard to 
the pioneers of Northern Ohio, with special reference to those of Richland 
county. Toward the close of his address, Judge Sloane said: "Let us sustain 
our historical societies, preserve and sacredly perpetuate the events and inci- 
dents of our early settlements, make our children more familiar with the 
ccounsels of the wise, from Washington, Franklin and Jefferson, to the mar- 
tyred Lincoln; in this they will have been carried back to the beginning of 
our national life. It is in the history of the past that we learn our safety and 
tru^ policy for the future; that the end of true government is the welfare of 
the people and the perpetuation of the state. Thus will your history be the 
schoolmaster of the age, its pupils your children, its lessons the monuments 
of your pioneers, as exhibited in the record of their principles, their deeds 
and their lives." 

The Hon. John Sherman attended this meeting. He came in unattended 
and as soon as his presence was known, the entire audience rose to receive 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



11 



him and the officers of the society advanced and extended to him hearty 
greetings, and having acknowledged the same, the Senator waill^ed over to 
where Judge Sloane was standing, grasped him by the hand and the two en- 
gaged for a few moments in conversation, after which he spoke to and shook 
hands with a number of people in the audience. He then took a seat which 
had been assigned to him. At the conclusion of Judge Sloane's address, Sen- 
ator Sherman was called upon for remarks, and spoke as follows: 




HON. JOHN SHERMAN. 

Hon. John Sherman's Last Speech. 

Mr. President, Friends and Neighbors: 

"I am overcome by your most friendly greeting and enthusiastic recep- 
tion, so unexpected and so complimentary. When I entered this room I had 
no idea of making a speech. You ought to have called on some of these other 
men who could have given you a better one; there is George Carpenter and 
there is (naming different men who were in the audience) all these men 



12 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



ought to say something. But I can assure you that it is a great pleasure to 
be with you today and to listen with you to the very able, interesting and in- 
structive address of my old friend, Judge Sloane, of Sandusky, who has given 
us an address which is every word history, real truthful history, and from 
which all of us may learn. It is full of interesting facts and data and sketch- 
es of Pioneer days in Northern Ohio. It will be valuable to presei-ve; teach- 
ers and scholars in the public schools and students of history should read the 
address carefully. It is complete in data and statistics. You cannot expect 
an address from me after this address of Mr. Sloane on our Pioneer days and 
I will only attempt to tell you how glad I am to be here and what a great 
pleasure it is for me to be with you my friends upon this occasion and to see 
around me so many* old familiar friends whom I have known so long and so 
well. This has been my home nearly all my life, having lived here more than 
sixty years, and while called by public duties for a portion of my time each 
year to Washington, yet I have always been glad to return to my Mansfield 
home and I can never forget the kindness shown me here, the friendships, 
'the honors heaped upon me by friends and neighbors here in Ohio, but 
I am taking more of your time than I had intended and must bring my re- 
marks to a close. Again I thank you one and all for your kind welcome and 
wish you all God's blessing." 

Senator Sherman's si.eech, although brief, was specially noteworthy as the 
last public address in his long and eventful career, and was his last appear- 
ance before a public audience. His death occurred a few months later. 

Judge Sloane"s visit to Mansfield was a pleasant one, giving him an op- 
portunity of meeting his old friend, Mr. Sherman, and of seeing him again 
appear before an audience and hearing him address the society. And Mr. 
Sherman was equally happy in meeting the Judge and listening to his inter- 
esting address. 

This meeting of the society was one of the most interesting in its history. 
During the meeting. Miss Caroline Angle sang the Star Spangled Banner and 
other patriotic songs, with guitar and mandolin accompaniment by the Misses 
Alma and Flora Beck. 



THIRD ANNUAL MEETING. 

The Richland County Historical Society held its third annual meeting in 
the G. A. R. rooms of the Memorial Library building, Friday, June 14, 1901. 
Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, president of the society, presided. Invocation by the 
Rev. F. S. Wolfe. 

Gen. Brinkerhoff 's Address. 

General Brinkerhoff then delivered an address entitled "The Objects and 
Aims of the Society," as follows: 

The Richland County Historical society, "under whose uuspices we are 
assembled today, was organized Nov. 25, 1S9S. By its constitution its annual 



PROCEEDINGS OP RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 13 



meetings of members foi* the election of officers, the reception or reports and 
other necessary business, are required to be held on the first Monday of De- 
cember, but in addition it is provided that in the month of June, each year, 
another meeting shall be convened, to which not only members but all others 
interested in historical matters shall be cordially invited. 

This requirement has been complied with and today we hold our third an- 
nual meeting and we extend a cordial welcome to all who care to honor us 
with their presence. We do not expect a large attendance at these meetings 
for the reason that most people are too much absorbed in the cares of the 
present to give much attention or thought to the events of the past, but yet 
we are glad to report a fair attendance at previous meetings and a growing 
interest in our work. 

The meeting last year was especially noteworthy through the presence 
with us of a delegation of members from the Firelands Historical society 
headed by its distinguished president, the Hon. Rush R. Sloane, of Sandusky, 
who delivered a very able and instructive address. 

The address of Judge Sloane was followed by an exceedingly interesting 
talk upon Richland county history by our friend, townsman and associate 
member of world-wide fame, the Hon. John Sherman, who has since passed 
away. Today, again, we expect distinguished visitors, from two of whom we 
have the promise of addresses this afternoon. 

The object of this society, as its name indicates, is to preserve for future 
generations an enduring record of all important matters pertaining to Rich- 
land county. During the past fifty years several societies have been organized 
for this purpose and through their efforts and the enthusiasm of a few in- 
dividual historians the history of the county prior to 1880 has been fairly well 
preserved in a volume of nearly a thousand' pages. This volume, like all 
others of a similar character, has numerous errors, which we are now able to 
correct and also to supplement with much additional history entirely new, but 
upon the whole this volume for accuracy and extent is creditable to our coun- 
ty. I am quite sure there are but few county histories in the state that are 
more satisfactory. Still much remains to be done to complete it and since 
its publication the events of twenty years and more have come and gone, and 
it is the duty of this generation to make record of them or they will soon pass 
into oblivion. This duty our historical society has been organized to dis- 
charge. 

This society, unlike it predecessors, we hope will be permanent and we 
appeal to our fellow citizens to make it such by becoming active and perma- 
nent members. What we want to do this year and what we think ought to be 
done every year is to publish a report which shall contain the proceedings of 
our annual meetings and other matters of historic interest gathered during 
the year. 

The Firelands Historical Society has published such reports for thirty 
years past and the result has been that historic events of importance have 
been preserved more fully in Erie and Huron counties than anywhere else in 



14 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



the state. One of the features of the Firelands annual reports, which seems 
worthy of imitation is the publication of biographic sketches, with photo- 
gravure portraits of all members deceased during the year. 

The state of Ohio next year will be a century old and for that century no 
state in the Union has a nobler record, and of its eighty-eight counties the 
county of Richland has contributed its full share of noble achievements. In 
fact there are but few other counties which have contributed so many men 
and women of state and national reputation and we ought to be ashamed of 
ourselves if we fail to preserve an adequate record of their deeds. Under 
these circumstances the Richland County Historical society appeals for mem- 
berships and cordial cooperation. The terms of membership are one dollar 
and annual assessments not exceeding that amount, sufficient to secure the 
publication of our annual volume, to which every member will be entitled 
to a copy. 

The Firelands annual publications range from one to two hundred pages 
and ours probably will be about the same. Our secretary, A. J. Baughman, 
will receive subscriptions and issue memberships at the close of this meeting 
or at any other time in the future. 

Address of Welcome. 

Capt. I. N. Thompson made the address of welcome and spoke as follows: 

"I come not here today to welcome the citizens of Mansfield, or of Rich- 
land county, to this, their meeting of the Historical society; for it is supposed 
they know their geographical latitude and longitude and altitude. But there 
may be many, very many, intermediate roses, and garlands, and gems, and 
even pearls, and jewels, and diamonds hidden away, or only partially revealed 
in this said latitude and longitude. 

" 'Tis true that the sacred desk, the public press, the public schools and 
colleges have published and embellished immortal jewels, fitting them for 
royal diadems, and all useful -avenues of life. 

"The skies have been lit up by the blaze of factories and furnaces, instead 
of the red man's campfire. The Indian's war horse, with its uncouth and 
uncultured savage rider and bloody arrow and scalping knife, have been rel- 
egated to the far distant west and the iron horse, with its skilled engineer 
now traverses and bisects our country, bearing the surplus products of our 
farms and factories to foreign markets, and bringing back to us that which 
is demanded by culture and refinement. 

The willing hand of industry, the dexterous and cunning mechanic, and 
the enterprising capitalist have given to Richland county an exalted and hon- 
ored position in the galaxy of 88 counties in grand old Ohio. 

Notwithstanding our past achievements we heartily and sincerely wel- 
come you, our invited guests, our qualified and competent instructors from 
'the other 87 covmties of Ohio. With out-stretched hands and open hearts we 
welcome you and ask you to assist us in gathering up hidden and partially 
concealed roses and gems, even jewels and diamonds in this said latitude and 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 15 



longitude, and we ask you to help us unify our efforts with yours to establish 
a more accurate and correct historical basis, and we sincerely pledge our- 
selves to be receptive pupils at the feet of our qualified 'Gamaliels.' 

"Had such historical societies as this been in vogue thousands and thou- 
sands of years ago we would not now have occasion to lament the 'pre- 
historic periods.' 

" 'Give us the truth;' this was the stern request of the great Napoleon to 
his marshals when they were sent out to fight the enemy. 'Give us truth' is 
our request of you, our invited guests, that we might pass it down to the 
youths of our land as an inheritance worthy of their guidance and emula- 
tion. 'Give us truth' that we may ever remember this 14th day of June, 1901, 
as the 124th anniversary of the adoption of the red, white and blue — the em- 
blems of our nationality. 

"Citizens of Mansfield and Richland county receive these, your invited 
guests, with your proverbial cordiality." 

Responses to the address of welcome were made by a number of members 
of the society who were present. 

A. J. BAUGHMAN'S ADDRESS 
On the Pre-Historic Earth Works of Richland County. 



A. J. Baughman delivered an interesting address, the subject of which was 
"The Pre-historic Earth-works of Richland County." The address was as 
follows: 

"Here stand mounds, erected by a race our curiosity, but fail to satisfy it, and 
Unknown in history or in poets' we ask, "Are these fading embank- 
songs." ments the boundaries of sacred enclos- 
In our own county we see evidences ures, or the fortifications of a camp, 
of a pre-historic people whose origin or the foundations on which were 
and fate are unknown- We know of built communal houses?" 
them only by the monuments they In the Blackfork valley — especially 
reared in the form of earth-works, and the part taken from Richland and giv- 
as these principally are mounds, we en to Ashland county — there are nu- 
call the people who made them "Mound merous mounds and other earth-works 
Builders." The term is not a distin- but only a few can be considered in 
guishing one, for people the world over the limit of this paper, 
have been mound builders, more or On the southwest quarter of section 
less, from generation to generation. 17, Green township, half a mile north- 
In no other country are earth-works west of Greentown, there was in the 
more plainly divided into classes than years agone a circular embankment 
here in America. In some places forti- embracing about half an acre of 
fied hills and eminences suggest the ground. The embankment was about 
citadel of a tribe or people- Again, five feet in height in the days of old 
embankments, circular or square, sep- Greentown. There was a "gate-way" 
arate and in combination, enclosing, to the west, about twelve feet wide. In 
perhaps, one or more mounds, excite the center of the enclosure there was 



16 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 



a mound into which excavations were 
made about fifty years ago to the depth 
of nine feet, which appeared to be the 
depth of tae artificial work. Coal, 
wood and feathers were found in the 
lower strata. 

Within a mile east of Greentown 
there was a similar embankment, em- 
bracing an acre of ground, but there 
was no mound within this enclosure. 

The Parr "fort" was a circular earth- 
work ,about seven feet high and twelve 
to fourteen feet in diameter at the 
base. It enclosed an area of about 
three acres. Very near it on the east 
side, stood a large mound, from which 
copper, beads and stone implements 
have been taken. About 70 years ago 
the late Dr. Henderson had these 
mounds opened, and in them were 
found human bones, decayed wood, 
charcoal, a stone pipe and a copper 
wedge. The wedge created quite a 
sensation at the time, as it was sup- 
posed to be gold. 

The Darling "fort," in the Clearfork 
valley, below St. Johns, was another 
earth-work containing nearly three 
acres. When first discovered by Judge 
Peter Kinney, in 1810, its embank- 
ments were about three feet high, cov- 
ered with forest trees centuries old. In 
this "fort" stone axes and other imple- 
ments were found. 

There is a small mound at the north- 
ern limit of the city of Mansfield near 
"Medicine Spring." It is about fifteen 
rods in length and five in breadth. 
This mound or knoll is, perhaps, a 
natural elevation, although some think 
it is an artificial mound on account of 
its geometrical proportions and its ge- 
ographical allignment, ana its "east- 
ern position." suggests that it might 
have been built for an altar upon 
which to offer religious rites. It is 
not known that any exhumation has 
ever been made, and the origin of the 
knoll, whether natural or artificial, is 
a matter of conjecture. 

The Lafferty mound, about which 



there is so much speculative query as 
to whether its formation was of geo- 
logical or archaeological origin, with 
about an equal division of opinion, is 
situate four miles east of Bellville, on 
Uriah Lafferty's farm. 

The mound is 100 feet in height and 
its base covers an area of six acres. It 
is cblong in shape, extending east and 
west, and is as symmetrical as though 
it had been planned by an architect 
and rounded with a mason's trowel. 

The size of the mound does not pre- 
clude the probability that it is an ar- 
tificial earthwork, for Nebuchadnezzer 
built a mound four times as high with- 
in the walls of the city of Babylon, to 
please a caprice of his wife. 

As the Lafferty mound has never 
been opened nor scientifically examin- 
ed, theories as to its origin and forma- 
tion are largely speculative. 

The valley where the Lafferty mound 
stands has been called the garden spot 
of Richland county, and is as beanti- 
ful in its scenic landscapes as it is 
rich and productive in its soil. 

From the summit of the mound, the 
view to the west is one of enhancing 
beauty. In the distance, hill-tops notch 
the horizon and lift their green crowns 
in a summer day, through the clear, 
soft atmosphere into the azure sky, 
making a landscape view of unsurpas- 
sing loveliness. 

There in an ancient earthwork two 
miles east of Mansfielu that is but lit- 
tle known by our people of today, al- 
though it was surveyed and mapped 
by the county surveyor in October, 
1878. It is situate on the Balliett farm, 
and is approached by the road leading 
east from the top of the Sherman hill, 
and is the most noted of its kind with- 
in the present limit of Richland 
county. 

These works are upon an elevation 
at the east side of the head of Spook 
Hollow, and consist of an oval-shaped 
embankment or fort, 594 feet long, by 
238 feet wide in the center, and con- 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



17 



tains two and two-thirds acres. South- 
west of the fort, 710 feet, there is a 
spring at the side of the ravine from 
which a copious flow of water issues 
in all seasons of the year. 

Dir(ct'y ro'ith of the "fort" upon 
the side of the hill leading to the old 
stage road, is the furnace which is an 
excavation walled with stone like a 
well and is called a "furnace." as char- 
coal, charred bones and evidences that 
fire had been used there were found at 
the bottom of the drift with which 
the place was filled. This "furnace" 
is about five feet across, is circular in 
form and its uses and purposes must 
be conjectured. 

At the east side of the fort there 
were a number of depressions, varying 
from four to twenty feet, but they 
have been so filled up in the tilling of 
the land as to be nearly obliterated- 
In excavating one of these depressions 
at the time of the survey, at a depth of 
eight feet, a drift was struck leading 
toward the fort. Geographically, the 
"fort" was platted upon longitudinal 
lines and upon geometrical measure- 
ments, and the depressions were var- 
iously located with relative mathemat- 
ical distances, all giving evidences that 
the people who planned and made and 
occupied these works were well ad- 
vanced in mathematics. 

Since their day and occupancy large 
forest trees have grown upon these 
earthworks — trees of at least six cen- 
turies' growth. These works are rel- 
ics of that pre-historic age of which 
much has been written and but little 
is known- The perspective view of the 
fort in the outline is still discernible 
from the road and the location was 
well chosen, as it commands a fine 
view of the valley opening to the 
south. Looking over and beyond Spook 
Hollow, which with its weird tradi- 
tions, lies at the base of the hill, aval- 
ley of gardenlike loveliness is present- 
ed and the landscape picture extends 



for miles, embracing the hills in the 
far distance, amid which the spire up- 
on the church steeple at Cesarea can 
be seen. 

What connection, if any, existed 
between the Mound Builders and the 
Indians is yet unsettled. But it seems 
certain that many years before Colum- 
bus discovered America, the Mound 
Builders had settlements here in Rich- 
land county, as these ancient earth- 
works attest. That the people were 
not unacquainted with war is shown 
by their numerous fortified enclosures. 
These mounds and other antiquities 
give us some knowledge of a people 
that lived here when civilization was 
but in the dawn in Europe. The his- 
tory of our own country is at least as 
interesting as that of the land of the 
Pharcahs, or of storied Greece, for 
here we see evidence of an ancient 
culture, as well as the footprints of a 
vanished people. 

It is claimed by writers that the 
Mound Builders were of Asiatic ori- 
gin and were, as a people, immense in 
numbers and well advanced in many 
of the arts. Similarity in certain 
things indicates that they were of 
Phoenician descent. Of the Mound 
Builders, we have speculated much, 
and know but little. 

A local writer claimed that the 
Richland-Ashland mounds do not be- 
long to the pre-historic class — that 
they were made at a more recent pe- 
riod, that they were built in the sev- 
enteenth century by the Eries to pro- 
tect their people from the invasions 
of the Iroquois tribe. 

When Judge Kinney and party felled 
trees tuat had grown upon the earth- 
works at the Darling "fort" the 
"growths" showed that the trees had 
been growing there several centuries 
before the war between the Eries and 
the Six Nations. The same is true of 
the "fort" near Spook Hollow, and at 
other places. 



18 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



When looking at the past, let us rec- 
ognize the fact that nations as well 
as individuals pass away and are for- 
gotten. 

Some of our mounds were used as 
sepulchers for the dead, and should 
not be desecrated — even in the interest 
of historical research and investiga- 
tion. 

An old-time poet wrote: 
"Oh, Mound! consecrated before 
The 'white man's foot e'er trod our 

shore. 
To battle's strife and valour's grave. 
Spare! oh, spare, the buried brave! 

"A thousand winters passed away,, 
And yet demolished not the clay, 
Which on yon hillock held in trust 
The quiet of the warrior's dust. 

"The Indian came and went again; 
He hunted through the lengthened 

plain; 
And from the mound he oft beheld 
The present silent battlefield. 



"But did the Indian e'er presume. 
To violate that ancient tomb? 
Ah, no! he had the soldier grace 
Which spares the soldier's resting 
place. 

"It is alone for Christian hand 
To sever that sepulchral band, 
Which ever to the view is spread. 
To bind the living to the dead." 

Some may say why attempt to roll 
back the flight of years to learn of a 
pre-historic people, for the search- 
light of investigation makes but little 
impression on the night of time. We 
have no data on which to base an esti- 
mate as to the antiquity of man, out 
we can contemplate the great periods 
of gaclogicai inros, and the infinite 
greatness of the works of creation, as 
disclosed by Astronomy, with man's 
primeval condition, as made evident 
by archaeology, and exclaim, "What 
is man that Thou art mindful of him!" 



Miss Lucile J. Anderson favored the society with a recitation delivered to 
musical accompaniment. 

The hour of noon having arrived the society took a recess until 1 o'clock. 
Dinner was served in Grand Army hall by the ladies. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



The afternoon session oppened with the singing of the Star Spangled Ban- 
ner by Miss Caroline Angle. 

MRS. IDA ECKERT LAWRENCE, OF TOLEDO, 

formerly of this county, read "Launching the Ship," a poem composed by her 
for the occasion of the launching of the battleship "Ohio," at San Francisco. 
Mrs. Lawrence had accompanied President McKinley and party to California 
and had but recently returned. The Hon. E. O. Randall, of Columbus, secre- 
tary of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, was in attend- 
ance and gave an address on "Tecumseh," in his usual able and characteristic 
manner, after which the society adjourned. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 19 



THE JOHN CHAPMAN MONUMENT. 







FiiSiaiiiajLeiaui 







THE JOr-iN CHAPMAN MONUMENT. 



Special Meeting to Dedicate Monument. 

A special meeting of tiie Richland County Historical Society was held on 
the afternoon of November 8, 1900, to dedicate in the Sherman-Heineman 



20 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



park a monument to the memory of John Chapman, otherwise and more 
generally known as Johnny Appleseed, one of the historic characters of early 
Ohio, and particularly of the pioneer days of Richland county. 

The weather was not propitious for a large gathering of people, but 
those who were present will ever remember the occasion with special inter- 
est. The monument was the gift to the city by the Hon. Martin B. Bushnell, 
one of the Park Commissioners, and also the vice president of the Richland 
County Historical Society. The lower part of the monument is of buff stone, 
and bears the following inscription: 

In Memory of JOHN CHAPMAN, 

Best known as "Johnny Appleseed." 

Pioneer Nurseryman of Richland County from 1810 to 1830. 

On the opposite side are the names of the Park Commissioners — Martin 
E. Bushnell, Henry M. Weaver and Roeliff Brinkerhoff, Sr., 1900. 

By invitation, the dedicatory ceremonies were conducted under the au- 
spices of the Richland County Historical Society. The meeting was called 
to order by Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, president of the society, and after a song 
by a quartet, prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. H. L. Wiles. General Brink- 
erhoff is one of the Park Commissioners; is president of the Ohio State Arch- 
aeological and Historical Society, and is also president of the Richland Coun- 
ty Historical Society, and in the latter capacity he gave a short address ex- 
planatory of the object of the meeting. 

General Brinkerhoff 's Address. 

We have met here today to dedicate a monument to one of the earliest 
and most unselfish of Ohio benefactors. His name was John Chapman, but 
to the pioneers he was everywhere known as "Johnny Appleseed." The field 
of his operations, in Ohio, was mainly the valleys of the Muskingum river 
and its tributaries, and his mission for the most part was to plant appleseeds 
and locate nurseries in advance of civilization and have apple trees for plant- 
ing when the pioneers should appear. He also scattered through the forest 
the seeds of medicinal plants, such as dog-fennel, penny-royal, catnip, hoar- 
hound, rattlesnake-root and the like. 

We hear of him as early as 180G, on the Ohio river, with two canoe loads 
of appleseeds gathered from the cider presses of Western Pennsylvania, and 
with these he planted nurseries along the Muskingum river and its tributar- 
ies. About 1810 he made his headquarters in that part of old Richland coun- 
ty, which is now Green township in Ashland county. He was there for a 
number of years and then came to Mansfield, where he was a familiar figure 
and a welcome guest in the homes of the early pioneers. 

All the early orchards of Richland county were procured from the nurs- 
eries of "Johnny Appleseed." Within the sound of my voice, where I now 



PROCEEDINGS OP RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



21 




22 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



stand, there are a dozen or more trees that we believe are lineal descend- 
ants of Johnny Appleseed's nurseries. In fact, this monument is almost 
within the shadow of three or four of them. 

As civilization advanced, Chapman passed on to the westward and at 
last, in 1847, he ended his career in Indiana, and was buried in David 
Archer's grave-yard, two and a half miles north of Fort Wayne. To the end 
he was true to his mission of sowing the seeds of medicijjal herbs, and of 
planting nurseries. To the pioneers of Ohio he was an unselfish benefactor, 
and we are here today to aid in transmitting to coming generations our grate- 
ful memory of his deeds. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND WORK OF 
''JOHNNY APPLESEED." 



By A. J. Baughman, Secretary of The Richland County His- 
torical Society. 

A. .J. Baughman, secretary of the Historical Society, then gave an his- 
torical sketch of the life, the work and the death of John Chapman. 

A. J. Baughman 's Address. 

John Chapman was born at Springfield, Mass., in the year 1775. Of his 
early life but little is known, as he was reicent about himself, but his half- 
sister who came west at a later period stated that Johnny had, when a boy, 
shown a fondness for natural scenery and often wandered from home in quest 
of plants and flowers and that he liked to listen to the birds singing and to 
gaze at the stars. Chapman's passion for planting apple seeds and cultivating 
nurseries caused him to be called "Appleseed John," which was finally 
changed to "Johnny Appleseed," and by that name he was called and known 
everywhere. 

The year Chapman came to Ohio has been variously stated, but to say 
it was one hundred years ago would not be far from the mark. An uncle of 
the late Roscella Rice lived in Jefferson county when Chapman made his first 
advent in Ohio, and one day saw a queer-looking craft coming down the Ohio 
river above Steubenville. It consisted of two canoes lashed together, and 
its crew was one man — an angular, oddly dressed person — and when he land- 
ed he said his name was Chapman, and that his cargo consisted of sacks of 
apple seeds and that he intended to plant nurseries. 

Chapman's first nursery was planted nine miles below Steubenville, up 
a narrow valley, from the Ohio River, at Brilliant, formerly called Lagrange, 
opposite Wellsburg, W. Va. After planting a number of nurseries along the 
river frant, he extended his work into the interior of the state — into Richland 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 23 



county — where he made his home for many years. He was enterprising in 
his way and i)lanted nurseries in a number of counties, which required him 
to travel hundreds of miles to visit and cultivate them yearly, as was his 
custom. His usual price for a tree was "a fi.p penny-bit," but if the settler 
hadn't money, Johnny would either give him credit or take old clothes for 
pay. He generally located his nurseries along streams, planted his seeds, 
surrounded the patch with a brush fence, and when the Pioneers came, 
Johnny had young fruit trees ready for them. He extended his operations to 
the Maumee country and finally into Indiana, where the last years of his life 
were spent. He revisited Richland county the last time in 1843, and called 
at my father's, but as I was only five years old at the time I do not remem- 
ber him. 

My parents, (in about lS27-'o5), planted two orchards with trees they 
bought of Johnny, and he often called at their house, as he was a frequent 
caller at the homes of the settlers. My mother's father, Capt. James Cunning- 
ham, settled in Richland county in 1808, and was acquainted with Johnny for 
many years, and I often heard him tell, in his Irish-witty way, many amusing 
anecdotes and incidents of Johnny's life and of his pecviliar and eccentric 
ways. 

Chapman was fairly educated, well read and was polite and attentive in 
manner and was chaste in conversation. His face was pleasant in expression, 
and he was kind and generous in disposition. His nature was a deeply re- 
ligious one, and his life was blameless among his fellow men. He regarded 
comfort more than style and thought it wrong to spend money for clothing 
to make a fine appearance. He usually wore a broad-brimmed hat. He went 
barefooted, not only in the summer, but often in cold weather, and a coffee 
sack, with neck and armholes cut in it, was worn as a coat. He was about 
5 feet, 9 inches in height, rather spare in build but was large boned and 
sinewy. His eyes were blue, but darkened with animation. 

For a number of years Johnny lived in a little cabin near Perrysville 
(then in Richland county), but later he made his home in Mansfield with his 
half-sister, a Mrs. Broome, who lived on the Leesville road (now West Fourth 
street) near the present residence of R. G. Hancock. The parents of George 
C. Wise then lived near what is now the corner of West Fourth street and 
Penn avenue and the Broome and Wise families were friends and neighbors. 
George C. Wise, Hiram R. Smith, Mrs. J. H. Cook and others remember 
"Johnny Appleseed'' quite well. Mrs. Cook was, perhaps, better acquainted 
with "Johnny" than any other living person today, for the Wiler House was 
often his stopping place. The homes of Judge Parker, Mr. Newman and oth- 
ers were ever open to receive "Johnny" as a guest. 

But the man who best understood this peculiar character was the late 
Dr. William Bushnell, father of our respected fellow-townsman, the Hon M. 
B. Bushnell, the donor of this beautiful commemorative monument, and by 
whose kindness and liberality we are here today. With Dr. Bushnell's schol- 
astic attainments and intuitive knowledge of character he was enabled to 



24 



PROCEEDINGS OP RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



know and appreciate Chapman's learning and the noble traits of his head 
and heart. 

When upon his journeys Chapman usually camped out. He never killed 
anything, not even for the purpose of obtaining food. He carried a kit of 
cooking utensils with him, among which was a mush-pan, which he some- 
times wore as a hat. When he called at a house, his custom was to lie upon 
the floor with his kit for a pillow and after conversing with the family a 
short time, would then read from a Swendenborgian book or tract, and pro- 




JOHN CHAPMAN.— ("Johnny Appleseed.") 

<ceed to explain and extol the religious views he so zealously believed, and 
"whose teachings he so faithfully carried out in his every day life and conver- 
sation. His mision was one of peace and good will and he never carried a 
weapon, not even for self-defense. The Indians regarded him as a great 
^'Medicine Man," and his life seemed to be a charmed one, as neither savage 
man nor wild beast would harm him. 

Chapman was not a medicant. He was never in indigent circumstances, 
for he sold thousands of nursery trees every year. Had he been avaricious, 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 25 



his estate of being worth a few thousand might have been tens of thousands 
at his death. 

"Johnny Appleseed's" name was John Chapman — not Jonathan — and this 
is attested bj' the muniments of his estate, and also from the fact that he 
had a half-brother (a deaf mute) whose Christian name was Jonathan. 

Chapman never married and rumor said that a love affair in the old Bay 
State was the cause of his living the life of a celibate and recluse. Johnny 
himself never explained why he led such a singular life except to remark that 
he had a mission — which was understood to be to plant nurseries and to 
make converts to the doctrines taught by Emanuel Swendenborg. He died at 
the home of William Worth in St. Joseph township, Allen county, Indiana, 
March 11, 1S47, and was buried in David Archer's graveyard, a few milse 
north of Fort Wayne, near the foot of a natural mound. His name is engrav- 
ed as a senotaph upon one of the monuments erected in Mifflin township, 
Ashland county, this state, to the memory of the Pioneers. Those monu- 
ments were unveiled with imposing ceremonies in the presence of over 6,000 
people September 15, 1882, the seventieth anniversary of the Copus tragedy. 

During the war of 1812 Chapman often warned the settlers of approach- 
ing danger. The following incident is given: When the news spread that 
Levi Jones had been killed by the Indians and that Wallace Reed and others 
had probably met the same fate, excitement ran high and the few families 
which comprised the population of Mansfield sought the protection of the 
block house, situated on the public square, as it was supposed the savages 
were coming in force from the north to overrun the country and to murder 
the settlers. 

TherQ were no troops at the block house at the time and as an attack was 
considered imminent, a consultation was held and it was decided to send a 
messenger to Captain Douglas, at Mt. Vernon, for assistance. But who would 
undertake the hazardous journey? It was evening, and the rays of the sunset 
had faded away and the stars were beginning to shine in the darkening sky, 
and the trip of thirty miles must be made in the night over a new cut road 
through a wilderness — through a forest infested with wild beasts and hostile 
Indians. 

A volunteer was asked for and a tall, lank man said demurely: "I'll go." 
He was bareheaded, barefooted and was unarmed. His manner was meek 
and you had to look the second time into his clear, blue eyes to fully fathom, 
the courage and determination shown in their depths. There was an expres- 
sion in his countenance such as limners try to portray in their pictures of 
saints. It is scarcely necessary to state that the volunteer was "Johnny Ap- 
pleseed" for many of you have heard your fathers tell how unostentatiously 
"Johnny" stood as "a watchman on the walls of Jezreel," to guard and pro- 
tect the settlers from their savage foes. 

The journey to Mt. Vernon was a sort of a Paul Revere mission. Unlike 
Paul's, "Johnny's" was made on foot — barefooted — over a rough' road, but one 
that in time led to fame. 



26 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



"Johnny" would rap on the doors of the few cabins along the route, warn 
the settlers of the impending danger and advise them to flee to the block- 
house. Upon arriving at Mt. Vernon, he aroused the garrison and informed 
the commandant of his mission. Surely, figuratively speaking, 

"The dun-deer's hide 

On fleeter feet was never tied," 

for so expeditiously was the trip made that at sunrise the next morning- 
troops from Mt. Vernon arrived at the Mansfield blockhouse, accompanied by 
"Johnny," who had made the round trip of sixty miles between sunset and 
sunrise. 

About a week before Chapman's death, while at Fort Wayne, he heard 
that cattle had broken into his nursery in St. Joseph township and were de- 
stroying his trees, and he started on foot to look after his property. The dis- 
tance was about twenty miles and the fatigue and exposure of the journey 
were too much for his physical condition, then enfeebled by age; and at the 
even-tide he applied at the home of a Mr. Worth for lodging for the night. 
Mr. Worth was a native Buckeye and had lived in Richland county when a 
boy and when he learned that his oddly dressed caller was "Johnny Apple- 
seed" gave him a cordial welcome. "Johnny" declined going to the supper 
table, but partook of a bowl of bread and milk. 

The day had been cold and raw with occasional flurries of snow, but in 
the evening the clouds cleared away and the sun shone warm and bright as 
it sank in the western sky. "Johnny" noticed this beautiful sunset, an augury 
of the Spring and flowers so soon to come, and sat on the doorstep and gazed 
with wistful eyes toward the west. Perhaps this herald of the Springtime, the 
season in which nature is resurrected from the death of Winter, caused him 
to look with prophetic eyes to die future and contemplate that glorious event 
of which Christ is the resurrection and the life. Upon re-entering the house, 
he declined the bed offered him for the night, preferring a quilt and pillow on 
the floor, but asked permission to hold family worship and read, "Blessed are 
the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven," "Blessed are the pure 
in heart, for they shall see God," etc. 

After he had finished reading the lesson, he said prayers — prayers long^ 
remembered by that family. He prayed for all sorts and conditions of men; 
that the way of righteousness might be made clear unto them and that sav- 
ing grace might be freely given to all nations. He asked that the Holy Spirit 
might. guide and govern all who profess and call themselves Christians and 
that all those who were afflicted in mind, body or estate, might be comforted 
and relieved, and that all might at last come to the knowledge of the truth 
and in the world to come have happiness and everlasting life. Not only the 
words of the prayer, but the pathos of his voice made a deep impression upon 
those present. 

In the morning Chapman was found in a high state of fever, pneumonia 
having developed during the night, and the physician called said he was be- 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 27 



yond medical aid, but inquired particularly about his religious belief, and re- 
marked that he had never seen a dying man so perfectly calm, for upon his 
wan face there was an expression of happiness and upon his pale lips there 
was a smile of joy, as though he was communing with loved ones who had 
come to meet and comfort him and to soothe his weary spirit in his dying 
moments. And as his eyes shone with the beautiful light supernal, God 
touched him with his finger and beckoned him home. 

Thus ended the life of the man who was not only a hero, but a benefactor 
as M'ell; and his spirit is now at rest in the Paradise of the Redeemed, and 
in the fullness of time, clothed again in the old body made anew, will enter 
into the Father's house in which there are many mansions. In the words of 
his own faith, his bruised feet will be healed, and he shall walk on the gold- 
paved streets of the New .Jerusalem of which he so eloquently preached. It 
has been very appropriately said that although years have come and gone 
since his death, the memory of his good deeds live anew every Springtime in 
the beauty and fragrance of the blossoms of the apple trees he loved 
so well. 

"Johnny Appleseed's" death was in harmony with his unostentations, 
blameless life. It is often remarked, "How beautiful is the Christian life;" 
yea, but far more beautiful is the Christian's death, when "the fashion of his 
countenance is altered," as he passes from the life here to the life beyond. 

What changes have taken place in the years that have intervened be- 
tween the "Johnny Appleseed" period and that of today! It has been said 
that the lamp of civilization far surpasses that of Aladdin's. Westward the 
star of empire took its way and changed the forests into fields of grain and 
the waste places into gardens of flowers, and towns and cities have been built 
with marvelous handiwork. But in this march of progress, the struggles and 
hardships of the early settlers must not be forgotten. Let us not only record 
the history, but the legends of the pioneer period; garner is facts and its fic- 
tions; its tales and traditions and collect even the crumbs that fall from the 
table of the feast. 

Today, the events which stirred the souls and tried the courage of the 
Pioneers seem to come out of the dim past and glide as panoramic views be- 
fore me. A number of the actors in those scenes were of my "kith and kin" 
who have long since crossed "over the river" in their journey to the land 
where Enoch and Elijah are Pioneers, while I am left to exclaim: 

"Oh, for the touch of a vanished hand 
And the sound of a voice that is still." 

While the scenes of those Pioneer days are vivid to us on history's page, 
future generations may look upon them as the phantasmagoria of a dream. 

At 72 years of age — 46 of which had been devoted to his self-imposed mis- 
sion — John Chapman ripened into death as naturally and as beautifully as 
the apple seeds of his planting had grown into trees, had budded into bios- 



28 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



soms and ripened into fruit. The monument which is now to be unveiled is a 
fitting memorial to the man in whom there dwelt a comprehensive love that 
reached downward to the lowest forms of life and upward to the throne of 
the Divine. 



At the close of Mr. Baughman address, the monument was unveiled, 
after which a quartet sang "Onward and Upward." The exercises closed 
with the singing of "America." 



In a letter to Mr. Bushnell, under date of October 4, 1900, John H. Arch- 
er, of Fort Wayne, Ind., grandson of David Archer, writes: "During his life 
and residence in the vicinity of Fort Wayne, I suppose that every man, wo- 
man and child knew something of "Johnny Appleseed." I find that there are 
quite a number of persons yet living in the vicinity, who remember John 
Chapman well and who enjoy relating reminiscences of his life and peculiar- 
ities of his character. The grave, more especially the common head-boards 
used in those days, have long since decayed and become entirely obliterated, 
and at this time I do not think that any person could with any degree of cer- 
tainty come within fifty feet of pointing out the location of Chapman's grave. 
Suffice it to say, that he has been gathered in with his neighbors and friends, 
for the majority of them lie in David Archer's grave yard with him." 



MEMORIAL MEETING. 



Services Held by the Richland County Historical Society, Me- 
morial to the Late George F. Carpenter. 

The Richland County Historical Society met at the residence of Gen. R 
Brinkerhoff, on Park avenue west, Saturday, November 30, 1901, and paid 
memorial tribute to the memory of Major George F. Carpenter, who was the 
first vice president of the society and one of its promoters and most valuable 
members. 

Gen. R. Brinkerhoff, the president of the society, after calling the meet- 
ing to order, said: "In the death of our friend and associate, Mr. George F. 
Carpenter, the Richland County Historical Society has lost one of its oldest 
and most faithful members, and we are convened this afternoon to pay our 
tribute to his memory. 

"When I came to Mansfield in 1850, as a law student, Mr. Carpenter was 
in active practice as a lawyer in partnership with Gen. William McLaughlin, 
and I soon made his acquaintance, which was continued until his death. He 
rarely appeared in court or before juries, but was always considered a good 
business lawyer and he made that department a specialty and prospered in 
it. As an all-around business man he had no superior at the Mansfield bar, 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



29 



and probably no equal unless we exce])t his early partner, James Purdy, who 
he resembled in many respects. Mr. Carpenter kept out of politics, and at- 
tended strickly to business, and in due time accumulated a handsome for- 
tune. 




MAJOR GEORGE F. CARPENTER. 

'•Both of us married in 1852, and we have been neighbors and friends 
ever since. Our wives were life-long friends and our families grew up to- 
gether, and our intercourse was always kindly and agreeable. Mr. Carpenter 



V... 



30 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



was at his best, I think, in his home, and as a husband and father he was a 
model of excellence. He was always interested in local history, and for a 
number of years past he was the vice president of our society, and was al- 
ways ready to contribute time and money to its work. We shall miss him 
greatly, and shall remember him gratefully. 

"To our secretary, Mr. A. J. Baughman, has been assigned the prepara- 
tion of a memorial address, which will now be presented." 

Memorial Tribute by A. J. Baughman. 

Mr. President: — The world always appreciates and honors success, 
whether achieved in the field, at the forum or the less ostensive lines of pro- 
fessional and business pursuits. But in the presence of the Omnipotent how 
insignificant is the most successful and prominent of men. Even Washington, 
who alone could fill that comprehensive epitome of Gen. Henry Lee, so often 
quoted: "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his country- 
men," was allowed no exemption from the common lot of mortals, for on the 
14th of December, 1799, in the sixty-eighth year of his age, his earthly life 
ended. More recent events remind us that the king of terrors is a universal 
king, and that we are all born under the condemnation of death; and that 
"death borders upon our birth, and that our cradle stands in the grave." 
Scarcely had the orators' lingering tones mellowed into silence; scarely had 
writers ceased to fill columns with glowing eulogies of the life, character and 
services of William McKinley, at whose bier a nation wept; hardly had we 
recovered from the shock of that dreadful assassination, until death entered 
our historical society and took from us one of our most prominent and useful 
members — Major George F. Carpenter. 

Major George F. Carpenter died at his home in this city, November 12, 
1901, aged over eighty-one years. The deceased was vice president of the 
Richland County Historical Society, was one of its charter members, and we 
have met today to pay tribute to his successful life, his historic character. 
The deceased was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Carpenter, who settled in 
Richland county in 1818, where two years later the son, George Franklin Car- 
penter, was born. Daniel Carpenter was from Vermont, and his wife from 
Connecticut. They were Yankees, with that energy and push that caused 
them to seek a home and fortune in the West. In this brief sketch there is 
only time to state that Richland county, Ohio, was then almost a wilderness. 
Baltimore was the nearest market, and products and merchandise had to be 
hauled by teams five hundred miles. Daniel Carpenter had opened a store 
of general merchandise at Newville, but money was too scarce to do much 
business and he concluded to add another to the export list, and started an 
ashery for the manufacture of pot-ash and pearl-ash, and thus opened a mark- 
et for the farmers' ashes, which put more money into circulation. But he did 
not stop at that, for he soon started a tannery in addition to his other lines — 
an industry that was much needed at that time — and Daniel Carpenter was 
regarded as a benefactor of that community. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 31 



During that pioneer period of which Daniel Carpenter was a prcifninent 
actor — a period of hardships and of toil — the Carpenter children were born 
and were reared to habits of industry and economy which won them success 
in after years — success that takes both courage and discipline to win. 

George F. Carpenter served his country in the field in the war of the re- 
bellion from April 6, 18G3, to November 12, 1865, as paymaster of the Army of 
the Cumberland, with the rank of Major. There is a coincident of dates. He 
resigned his commission in the army on the 12th of November, 1865, and 
thirty-six years later, on the 12th of November, 1901, he passed into the 
shadow of the valley that lies between the summits of the life temporal and 
the life eternal. 

Don Carpenter, a younger son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Carpenter, served 
as a soldier in our war with Mexico and also in the war of the Rebellion. He 
long since answered the roll-call from above, where the brazen throat of war 
is voiceless in the presence of the Prince of Peace. It was patriotism that 
took Don Carpenter to two wars to fight for his country. It was patriotism 
that took George F. Carpenter to the front during our Civil War. It was 
patriotism, love of kindred and of home, that caused him to take a deep in- 
terest in our historical society, that the history of our county might be gath- 
ered and preserved. 

Major Carpenter's life was an historic one — a life that spanned from the 
pioneer period to that of today. Over four-fifths of a century. He saw the 
time when the Indian was a frequent caller at his father's door. He saw the 
forest disappear and towns and villages built up. But in all that change and 
transition, and in all the success that came to him in life, he always kindly 
remembered his early friends and his childhood home. As a man. Major Car- 
penter's striking characteristics were devotion to principle and steadfastness 
of purpose. He was never charged with trimming nor with insincerity. He 
was no dreamer, uo mere theorist, but a worker — one who did well whatever 
he undertook to accomplish. At times he may have seemed severe and too 
inflexible, but his friends knew that beneath the stern exterior he assumed in 
his contact with the world, there beat a heart as warm and gentle as ever 
sanctified the domestic circle or made loved ones happy. 

Remembering the interest Major Carpenter took in our sicety — in its ob- 
jects and aims — it behooves us not to falter in our work, although the collec- 
tion of historical data is often accomplished with tired hands and weary feet. 

At the portals of his tomb we bid farewell to our departed friend, in the 
assurance that a blessed life awaits him beyond the grave. He is gone from 
earth, but he left to his family not only the fortune he had accumulated, but 
that richer legacy — an honored and an unsullied name. 

At the close of Secretary Baughman's address, remarks were made by 
Hon. M. B. Bushnell, Capt. A. C. Cummins and others, after which resolutions 
were adopted expressive of the high esteem in which the deceased was held. 




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PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 33 



FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING. 

The fourth annual meetinj? of the Richland County Historical Society was 
held at the Y. M. C. A. auditorium, Thursday, June 12, 1902. Gen. R. Brink- 
erhoff, i)resident of the society, called the meeting to order at 10 a. m., and 
after an invocation by the Rev. Fathei- Schreiber, made an informal address, 
in which he stated in brief the history of the society and reviewed the pro- 
grams of the previous meetings. The president also stated that between the 
annual meetings, the secretary has been active in gathering the facts of 
county history, the results of which are indicated by articles published in the 
local newspapers. And also, that Mr. Wilkinson, the curator, has also done 
valuable service by securing prehistoric relics, which can be seen in the 
Museum of the Memorial building. He stated that whatever may be thought 
■of the work of the historical society at home, it is highly appreciated by so- 
cieties in other states, interested in historic subjects, as is indicated by num- 
erous letters of inquiry received by Secretary Baughman. The Richland 
County Historical Society has the important mission of preserving for the 
generations that come after us a record of the achievements of the pioneers 
and their descendants who have nobly done their work in making Ohio the 
foremost state in the LTnion. 

The next number on the program was a poem by Miss Sade E. Baugh- 
nian, entitled "The Past and Present," which was well received and applaud- 
ed. It told of the hardships of the early settlers of the county, and that its 
present prosperity was largely due to their efforts; that they were noble men 
and women, hardy, and refined. It complimented Mr. Bushnell for his dona- 
tion of the monimient to the memory of Johnny Appleseed, and also General 
Brinkerhoff for his efforts in assisting her brother in forming the historical 
society. The following stanzes are given of 

Miss Baughman 's Poem. 

Into an unbroken wilderness the early settlers came. 
Clearing spots for their cabins and searching the forest for game. 
And they were a hardy race of men, those grand old pioneers, 
Who came to this unsettled country the fertile land to clear. 

The women were brave and hardy, sharing dangers with the men, 
And aided in field labor and their homes they helped defend. 
We turn to the dear mothers as the needle turns to the pole. 
And in neither verse nor story have their virtues been half told. 

* * * * 
And we bless the noble pioneers, whose hands with toil were brown, 
We will sing their praise through all the land for they deserve renown. 
They left their homes and scenes of peace for log cabins in the woods, 
Where dangers lurked at every turn, these men and women good. 



34 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



They are in a land of light and promise we have never seen, 
Where the streams are golden rivers and the forests ever green. 
And dear forever be the graves and bright the flowering sod, 
Where .rest the grand old sires who loved their country and their God. 

At the afternoon session the Rev. E. .T. Craft, of Massillon, gave an ad- 
dress entitled, "Our Unknown Heroes." The Rev. Craft is a fine elocutionist 
and is one of the most eloquent and gifted ministers of the Episcopal church 
in the diocese of Ohio. 

Rev. E. J. Craft's Address. 

standing in our national cemetery at Gettysburg, one can see around him 
the marble shafts and granite blocks which mark the resting place of the 
nation's illustrious dead. Here and there among them are grim cannon, keep- 
ing their sombre guard over the silent city. Down the slope which stretches 
away south and eastward, in the early morning I saw thousands, it seemed, 
of little marble slabs which the sun's rays kissed into glistening beauty. 
They bore the simple inscription "unknown." I knew that after the fearful 
battle hundreds, yes thousands, of dead men were carried hither and buried 
in these long trenches — unrecognized; no loving hand to fashion for them 
a last resting place; no one to preserve their memory and hand down to fu- 
ture generations their honored names. What part each took in the great 
struggle, what deeds of daring and high courage they performed, none but 
God can know; but here no less than there under the fluted marble on which 
loving hands have caused to be engraved a fitting eulogy, sleep heroes of our 
nation, who toiled, suffered and died that their children might inherit the 
promise. Lost though their individuality may be, their personal efforts un- 
known, intermingled with the deeds of thousands, as their Dones which lie 
crumbling there, yet no less to them we owe a nation's debt of gratitude. 

How typical this is of the great movements of society which have brought 
the blessing of upliftment to the race of man. Here and there, in these great 
epochs of history some figures stand out clear and distinct among the multi- 
tudes, and around which all interest seems to be concentrated; but back, far 
back, in the past are souls who inflamed with holy zeal and love for eternal 
right, have set in motion a current of events which gathering force has burst 
forth from obscurity, and sweeping onward irresistibly has carried humanity 
on its tide farther up the height of progress. 

In the pages of the ordinary historian their names are unwritten. In- 
deed such research from effect to primal cause is for him an impossibility. 
He can only gaze upon the super-structure and as it emerges from obscurity 
and forget those who toiled with bleeding hands upon the foundation far be- 
low. Yet no one can fully appreciate a great movement of society until by 
tracing back through the centuries he is able to be in afflnity with the thought, 
conditions, feeling, spirit and the endeavors which gave it birth, and can 
count the cost by which the gift has been transmitted to him from the past. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 35 



That is the glorious work which is being performed by the Richland County 
Historical Society. In bringing to life by patient research the early history 
of Richland county, telling to the generations of the present the splendid 
story of the past, tracing out the conditions which met the pioneers, their 
heroic struggle and their achievements, which have resulted in the found- 
ing and developing of one of the most splendid sections of country upon the 
face of the globe — ^bringing before the present generation that history of 
courage and fortitude, whose remembrance cannot but .stimulate and intensi- 
fy the spirit of true manhood — the love of home, whose every spot is sancti- 
fied by the toil and struggle of those whose bones make of all a hallowed 
ground. 

It is a worthy task for worthy .men, for spirit touches spirit into existence. 
A nation's strength is in its history. Generations are what generations have 
• been. It is the knowledge and veneration for the past which wings loyalty 
to jump from one generation to another, as the sun leaps from mountain peak 
to mountain peak around the world. For there is that in this history of our 
unknown heroes, and in the development upon the foundations they have 
laid, which cannot but call forth admiration, which is the parent of emulation, 
and he who presents to mankind an ideal which takes hold upon their thoughts 
and imagination has given to the world as great a gift as the Olympian Jove 
of Phidias or the Madonna of Raphael. And what a subject is here. Adven- 
tures which in interest and exhibition of courage and resource equal the 
fabled Ulysses, deeds which outrank a Hector's prowess, devotion and sacri- 
fice beyond that of a Prometheus, heroism transcending a Thermopylae; for 
even I, unskilled in this county's early history, can imagine something of that 
which took place in the foundation building, in the long journey from distant 
states, the parting of friends, the long look into the perils of the way, the 
paths they blazed through the trackless forest, the danger from wild beasts, 
the weariness, the ambush of Indians, the battle from the wagons, the shrieks 
of tortured captives, the blazing cabins, the mutilated bodies in the embers, 
the anguish of bereavement, sickness, the wayside grave, the humble prayer, 
the battle with the forests, the clearing of the land, the plowing of the for- 
eign soil, the failure of crops and the wasting of the famine. Every foot of 
soil was won by tears and blood. For us they suffered that we might in- 
herit the promise. Here was enacted scenes at which a world might well 
have wondered, and which took as much true courage as when the Light 
Brigade charged at Balaklava. 

You, of this historical society, are erecting a monument to the memory 
of the earl3' settlers of the county which will far outlast the marble slabs 
and the c,.ar.:le shafts. For as we are gathered here to listen to the records 
of the. past, in the inner sanctuary of every soul, where we have placed the 
hallowed images of our ideals, there with warrior, statesman, poet, philosopher 
and heroes, we will place one of majestic outline and of lofty inspiration, 
which we will consecrate to the unknown heroes — the pioneers of the 
early days. 



36 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 




HIRAM R. SMITH. 

Hiram R. Smith is the oldest member of the Richland County Historical 
Society. The likeness given above is from a photograph taken January 1, 
1903, the day he was ninety years old. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 37 



After the close of Rev. Craft's address he recited Poe's Raven so effec- 
tively that by request he repeated it in the evening. 

Judge A. W. Patrick, of New Philadelphia, gave an excellent address on 
the topic — "The Pioneers of Ohio." 

Dr. J. A. Leonard gave an illustrated address in the evening on the can- 
yons of Colorado. 



FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING. 

The fifth annual meeting of the Richland County Historical Society was 
held in the G. A. R. rooms of the Memorial building, Wednesday, June 17, 
1903, the 128th anniversary of the battle of Bunker Hill. At the opening of 
the meeting. Gen. Brinkerhoff spoke briefly of the history and work of the 
society, and stated that in view of the fact that the pioneers have all passed 
away, this society has not limited itself to the pioneer period, but also seeks 
to preserve a record of all important events of later years. 

By the term pioneers, we mean the first settlers who took up the govern- 
ment lands and began their cultivation. Practically this was accomplished 
by 1820 and I do not know of any one now living who was in Richland county 
at that time. 

The children of the pioneers, for the most part, have also passed away 
and they, too, have made history of importance and well worthy of preserva- 
tion 

In short the Richland County Historical Society is interested in all per- 
iods of county history and seeks to preserve a record of all important events. 
In order to do this more effectively, current events also receive attention and 
our curator, Mr. Wilkinson, makes daily clippings from our newspapers of all 
local matters of interest and keeps them in prepared volumes for permanent 
preservation and reference. 

In other directions, also, valuable historic work has been done by this so- 
ciety and its individual members. The series of historic articles, which, for 
i^ome time ]:)ast have appeared in the Mansfield News, written by our secre- 
tary, A. J. Baughman, are especially valuable. 

No other county in the state has a more honorable record of men and 
women, distinguish.ed in every department of human endeavor and we owe 
it to ourselves, as well as to them, that the memory of their deeds should be 
preserved as an inspiration for those who come after us. 

Miss Anna Massa, one of Mansfield's most noted singers, sang a number 
of patriotic solos, accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Smith. 

Silas C. Parker gave a paper on the history of the Grand Army of the 
Republic, with special reference to the history of McLaughlin Post, which was 
organized in 1881, and was named for Gen. William McLaughlin, who was a 
soldier in the Mexican war, and also in that of the Rebellion. Among the 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



members of McLaughlin Post are a number of the leading citizens of Mans- 
field. McLaughlin Post is constructing a fort at the north end of the Sherman- 
Heineman park, which is designed to be both memorial and educational. It 
was designed by Mr. Parker and he has been its principal promotor. When 
completed it will have magazines and secret passages, and is already mounted 
with guns of different caliber. There is to be a memorial well, a memorial 
grove of white oaks, in which will be a number of charter oaks, and a memor- 
ial arch at its entrance, through which visitors in carriages can pass over a 
driveway without getting out of their carriages. The Mansfield blockhouse 
of the war of 1812 will be reproduced on these grounds. 

Mrs. John Cherry gave a paper on the Woman's Relief Corps, which is aux- 
iliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. The paper was a very interest- 
ing one. 

Mrs. Marion Douglass. 

Mrs. Marion Douglass gave a paper on the "American Soldier," which 
has since appeared in a number of periodicals. The paper was general instead 
of local in its character. 

At the evening session addresses were made by the Hon. W. S. Kerr and 
the Rev. F. A. Gould. M. A. Ricksecker, of Gallon, gave one of his character- 
istic talks and recited a serio-dialect story entitled "Me and Sandy Brown." 

Peter Bissman, though born in a foreign land, is much interested in the 
history of the county, and is one of the society's most valued members. He 
gave one of the most interesting talks of the meeting. 

After singing "America" the society adjourned. 

The Mansfield correspondent of the Butler Times, in writing of this meet- 
ing stated: "There was quite an interest manifested and the program for the 
occasion was interesting as well as instructive. A paper read by Silas C. 
Parker, giving the history and the local work of the G. A. R., was listened to 
with deep interest. 

"Mr. Bissman, one of Mansfield's most prominent citizens, delivered an 
address showing the great importance of keeping up the history of the coun- 
ty — especially of the pioneers, who after battling for their country's freedom, 
battled with the immense foregt, the wild animals and the red men, and mas- 
tered all, and the people of this generation enjoy the results of their hard- 
ships and labor. He said the young people of today should be more interested 
in the work of preserving local history. He thought it should be impressed 
more upon the school children. Mr. Bissman takes great interest in the work 
of the historical society and assists in promoting its interest." 



SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING. 

The sixth annual meeting of the Richland County Historical Society was 
held in the Casino, June 2, 1904. From 11 until 12:30 o'clock dinner was 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 39 



served by the society in the basement of the Casino building to all the guests 
present. At 1 o'clock the exercises commenced in the auditorium. The Rev. 
J. J. Dimon, rector of Grace Episcopal church, made the invocation, after the 
Star Spangled Banner had been sung by Mrs. Alwilda Craig-Ewing, Mrs. J. H. 
Stauffer acting as accompanist. An address of welcome was delivered by 
Gen. Brinkerhoff, and was responded to by R. W. Knisely, of Crawford coun- 
ty. Quite a delegation was present from Crawford county, among the num- 
ber were R. W. Knisely, president of the Crawford County Pioneer Associa- 
tion; John A. Smith, secretary, and John Holman, Joseph Beard, William 
Baird, Joseph Quaintance, John Peterman, William Robinson and other mem- 
bers of the association. There were a number of ladies in the party. 

President Brinkerhoff 's Address. 

In his address upon the history of the society, Gen. Brinkerhoff said: 

In order that all may understand definitely the purpose, objects and ac- 
complishments of the Richland County Historical society of which we hold 
today its sixth annual meeting, it seems proper that a brief statement should 
be made. In view of the fact that pioneer associations have existed in this 
county in the past fifty years, and still exist in some Ohio counties, it seems 
proper to say that the Richland County Historical Society differs from pioneer 
associations in this: that it does not consider birth, age nor duration of resi- 
dence as requisites to its membership. Its field of work is broad and compre- 
hensive, and it invites the assistance and co-operation of both old and young, 
not only in the preservation of pioneer history, but also of all other historical 
events of importance in later years. What we mean by this is best indicated, 
perhaps, by a brief abstract from our records of what has already been ac- 
complished. 

The Richland County Historical Society was organized in November, 
1898, with the following officers: President, Gen. R. Brinkerhoff; vice presi- 
dent, George F. Carpenter; secretary, A. J. Baughman; treasurer, M. B. Bush- 
nell. Upon the death of Mr. Carpenter, Mr. Bushnell was elected vice presi- 
dent and W. S. Cappeller was elected treasurer. The president and secretry 
remain the same. 

Since the organization of our Historical society a centennial history of 
the county has been published, consisting of over seven hundred pages and 
handsomely illustrated. The work was edited by our secretary, Mr. Baugh- 
man, and the most of the biographies and all of the historical chapters were 
written by him. Mr. Baughman's newspaper articles upon historical lines 
have been voluminous. 

Pioneer Photographs. 

Edward Wilkinson, the curator of the Memorial Library museum, is also 
the curator of our society, and to his care are committed all historical docu- 
ments or memorials. Of these, the most valuable came into our possession 



40 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



about a year ago, and consists of a collection of 1092 photographs of Richland 
county pioneers. 

In the centennial year of 187G, A. Whissemore, a Mansfield pho- 
tographer, advertised that would take photographs without charge, of 
Richland county pioneers, sixty years old, who had resid- 
ed in the county 50 years. After a large number had responded to his call the 
age limit was reduced to 50 years, and the residence limit to 45 years. The 
result was a collection of over 1.500 photographs, from which 1092 were 
mounted and preserved in a glass case, extending the whole length of his 
studio. When Mr. Whissemore sold out his gallery this collection was trans- 
ferred to his successor and in the same way was transferred from one owner 
to another until about a year ago it came into our possession by purchase, 
and was removed to the Memorial Library museum, where all the photographs 
have been mounted in a revolving case by the curator, and thus far about 750 
have been identified and labeled. All the photographs are in excellent preser- 
vation, and as a collection of pioneer portraits, so far as I know, has no equal 
anywhere. It is open for inspection every afternoon during the week, and in 
the forenoon also on Saturday, and all are at liberty to call and see it. 

"Johnny Appleseed." 

Among the pioneers of Ohio, and especially of Richland county, there is 
no one probably better known or more kindly remembered than .lohn Chap- 
man, better known as "Johnny Appleseed," who kept in advance of civiliza- 
tion in the Muskingum valley and its tributaries and planted apple seeds and 
established nurseries from which were supplied the trees for the orchards 
of the early settlers. 

In memory of this early philanthropist, the Richland County Historical 
society has brought about the erection of a monument, near where we are 
now gathered, in the middle i^ark. The monument was donated by our vice 
president, Martin B. Bushnell, and was unveiled and dedicated by our own 
society with appropriate ceremonies and addresses Nov. 8, 1900. It is only a 
short walk from here and upon adjournment all are invited to insi)ect it. 

Conclusion. 

In conclusion, allow me to say that what the Richland County Historical 
society specially needs is a larger membership, and a sufficient income to 
print an annual report cl its proceedings. The annual membership dues are 
$1.00 and our assistant secretary, whose desk is at the door, will receive sub- 
scriptions and issue membership certificates. 

All are invited, and I trust there will be a liberal response, and sufficient 
funds collected to print an annual report and furnish a copy to each of our 
members. 

The Richland Historical society is auxiliary to the Ohio Archaeological 
and Historical society and its purposes and aims are indicated by its name. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 41 



The program wliich followed was listened to with much Interest. The 
Hon. W. J. Geer, of Gallon, delivered an inieresting address. The Hon. W. 
S. Cappeller and Dr. J. A. Leonard gave interesting talks, and S. C. Parker 
gave an account of the historical fort, and Invited the visitors to visit the 
same upon the adjournment. Miss Alberta Hazlett recited Barbara Fritchie, 
and Miss Naomi Lloyd Knight, of Gallon, gave the Loss of the Sultana. Both 
of the recitations were highly appreciated by the audience. Twenty-two Rich- 
land county soldiers were in the Sultana disaster, nineteen of whom found 
watery graves. 



SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 

The seventh annual meeting of the Richland County Historical Society 
was held in the G. A. R. rooms of the Memorial Library building, Wednesday, 
June 7, 1905. A social session was held in the forenoon, and a pleasant time 
was passed in making new acquaintances, in meeting old friends and in re- 
calling historical incidents. There were delegations present from Crawford, 
Holmes and Ashland counties. 

The program was called at 1 p. m., and after prayer by the Rev. A. E. 
Renn, followed by a solo by Mrs. Renu, the president of the society. Gen. R. 
Brinkerhoff, gave a short address of welcome. 

The first number on the program was an address by the Rev. Joshua 
Crawford, on the Col. Crawford expedition that passed through Richland 
county in 1782. Rev. Crawford is a kinsman of Col. Crawford. 

(The address is given supplemental to the proceedings.) 

The Hon. W. J. Geer, representing the Crawford county delegation, then 
gave an interesting address along historical lines. 

Miss Leonora E. Shaw, of Ashland College, recited "The Wild White 
Rose," which was enthusiastically received. 

Mrs. James R. Hopley. 

Mrs. James R. Hopley, of Bucyrus, gave a paper on "The Part Taken by 
Women in the History and Development of Ohio." This is the address given 
by her at the Ohio Centennial celebration at Chillicothe. She opened her 
address with a description of the occasion and surroundings of the centennial, 
she wove into sentences her ideas of the splendid foundation and character 
possessed by the women of this state in the foundation period. Her thought 
of Ohio womanhood is of the highest type. 

Short addresses followed by Prof. Sample, of Perrysville, and by Hiram 
R. Smith and Peter Bissman, of Mansfield. Prof. Sample has one of the larg- 
est private collection" of archaeological and historical specimens and relics of 
any person in Ohio. Mr. Smith is ninety-three years of age, and when called 



42 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



upon for remarks, responded by reciting, "You would scarce expect one of my 
age to speak in public on the stage." This was very much appreciated by 
the audience, as were also his interesting remarks which followed. Peter 
Bissman is an interesting off-hand speaker and always holds the 'attention 
of the audience. 




PETER BISSMAN. 



The evening session opened with a paper by Prof. C. W. Williamson, of 
Wapakoneta, on the "Allied Indian Tribes of Western Ohio." The paper, 
which was very well prepared, dealt with the early invasion of Ohio by the 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 43 



English traders and the war of extermination which was waged against them 
by the French from Quebec who with the aid of the Indians were able to drive 
back the first of the traders. The conspiracy of Pontiac and his plans to re- 
gain the Ohio Valley, their subsequent failure which came after much blood 
had been shed, were ably pictured by the reader. 

Prof. Williamson retold of the alliances which existed between the differ- 
ent tribes which occupied Ohio and described their manner of dealing with 
the English invaders and how this directly led to the French and English war 
of 1754-1763. Prof. Williamson closed his paper with a description of the dif- 
ferent chiefs who had a part in the early uprisings of Ohio. 

The next speaker was the Hon. E. O. Randall, secretary of the Ohio Arch- 
aeological and Historical Society. Mr. Randall, who is widely known as a 
leading Ohio Historian and as professor of Law at Ohio State University, has 
acquired a reputation as a speaker second to none in the state. 

Prof. Randall responded to Gen. Brinkerhoff's introductory speech, by 
complimenting Gen. Brinkerhoff and his associates on the success they have 
made along Historical lines and stated that the fine organization, the Ohio 
Archaeological and Historical Society directly owes its beginning to the prom- 
nent Mansfield citizen, Gen. Brinkerhoff. 

The title of Prof. Randall's speech was "Some Phases of early Ohio His- 
tory," the subject covered by him being along the same lines as that of Prof. 
Williamson. The Interest of Ohio history as compared with that of other 
states and countries was an interesting part of the speech. The speaker told 
of the great struggle for supremacy which had always been waged in the fer- 
tile valley of the Ohio, first the Indians and then the English and French 
fought and for many years Ohio was constantly torn by the strife. 

Prof. Randall told of the settlement of the Ohio Valley by Governor Dun- 
more of Virginia, who despite the English King's orders to the contrary 
moved into the new territory with four thousand armed men to quell the turb- 
ulent savages, who constantly threatened the English settlers. The battle 
of Point Pleasant which was fought by Gen. Lewis in 1774, was practically the 
opening of the great war of the Revolution, for the armed force had moved 
against the will of the King and were making an opening for settlement in a 
territory which the English ruler refused to allow them. Other battles and 
the trials of the twenty years of strife which elapsed before the Ohio Valley 
became settled, were described and the fact that Ohio History is made so 
little of by the leading historians were fully discussed. The actions of the 
eastern historian are deplored by those who are well versed in Ohio History, 
for it is well known that the bloody strife in Ohio which commenced at Point 
Pleasant and ended when Mad Anthony Wayne defeated the last hope of the 
Indians and English at Fallen Timbers, was the most prolonged and blood 
thirsty struggle which took place during all the war. 



44 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



The session closed with the recitation of "Me and Sandy Brown," by M. 
A. Ricksecker, of Galion. Mr. Ricksecker is always a favorite with a Mans- 
field audience. 

The meeting was one of the most successful in the history of the society 
and the guests left well pleased with the day's entertainment. 

Lunch was served to the visiting delegations from the band stand in 
Central park. Coffee and sugar for the occasion were donated by Peter Biss- 
man, and sandwiches by Del Rudd, of the Hotel Southern. 

A. J. BAUGHMAN, Secretary, 

Mansfield, Ohio. 



Constitution of the Richland County Historical Society. 

1. This association shall be called the Richland County Historical Soci- 
ety, whose purpose and object shall be to collect historical data of Richland 
county, and to preserve the same in such manner and form as may be expe- 
dient and desirable from time to time. The officers shall consist of a Presi- 
dent, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Custodian, whose duties shall 
be similar to those of like officers in other organizations. 

2. The headquarters of the society shall be in Mansfield, and the business 
meeting of each year shall be held on the second Monday in December, at 
which time officers shall be elected for the ensuing year. Special meetings of 
the Society may be held at any time under call of the President and Secretary. 

3. There shall be a public meeting held in June of each year, at such 
time and place as the officers may determine. Said meeting to be in the form 
of a reunion of all those in the history of the county. 

4. This Society shall shall be auxiliary to the Ohio State Archaeological 
and Historical Society. 

5. This constitution may be amended at any general December meeting, 
by a two-thirds vote of the members voting. 

7. In case of failure to hold a general business meeting in December, as 
provided for in article 2, or the failure of the Society to elect officers at such 
meetings, the incumbent officers shall hold over until their successors are 
elected and qualified. 

The above constitution was adopted upon the organization of the society, 
(Nov. 25, 1898-, and the following members were elected to fill the offices, 
to-wit: 

GEN. R. BRINKERHOFF, President. 

MAJ. GEO. F. CARPENTER, Vice President. 

A. J. BAUGHMAN, Secretary, 

M. B. BUSHNELL, Treasurer. 

E. WILKINSON, Custodian. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



45 




M. D. FRAZIER. 



M. D. Frazier, whose portrait appears on this page, is a member of the 
Richland County Historical Society, and under his management the columns 
of the Mansfield Daily Shield are always open for historical sketches and 
I»ioneer incidents. In fact, he has now, and has had for several years past, on 
the editorial staff of the Shield, A. J. Baughman, secretary of the Historical 
society, as special writer of facts, events and incidents of Richland county 
history. The columns of the Shield will be referred to in the future for the 
pioneer history of this part of Ohio, as the paper will continue to give histor- 
ical sketches as feature articles in the future as it has done on the past. 

Mr. Frazier, although not a native of this county, takes great interest in 
its history, both past and present, and in the welfare of the Historical society. 
He is an energetic and progressive newspaper man, and anything that tends 
towards the advancement or promotion of the interests of the city and county 
ever finds in him an earnest supporter. 



46 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



THE TERM "PIONEER" DEFINED. 

Webster refines "pioneer" to be "one who goes before, as into the Wild- 
erness, preparing the way for others to follow." 

At the historical and pioneer meeting held at the Mansfield Fair Grounds, 
October, 1869, the term "pioneer," it was declared, applied only those who re- 
sided in the county prior to 1820. 

Notwithstanding these definitions, some writers use the term "pioneer" to 
denote an aged person, thus depriving the first settlers of the county of that 
grand and distinctive title, to which they alone are entitled — that of "Pioneer." 



HIRAM R. SMITH. 

Hiram R. Smith is the oldest member of the Richland County Historical 
Society. He is now in his ninety-third year, and the portrait given of him 
elsewhere is from a photograph taken the day he was ninety years old. 

Mr. Smith was born in Huron, Ohio, January 7, 1813. He came to Mans- 
field in September, 1824, and has been a resident of the city ever since — 
eighty-one years. He is remarkably will preserved for one of his years, and 
seems to be only in the golden autumn time of life. He is a man of wealth 
and is happy in his domestic relations, and is honored and respected by all 
who know him. He is leading a retired life, but is connected with a number 
of different enterprises which have been of material benefit to his town and 
county. 

Mr. Smith is much interested in the Historical society, for he can look 
back to the time when Mansfield was but a village, and likes to take a 
retrospect of the years that are gone, and to talk of the marvelous achieve- 
ments accomplished within the years of his residence in. Mansfield. 



OUR OBLIGATIONS TO THE PIONEERS. 

We should not ignore our obligations to the pioneers, but in remember- 
ing them, congratulate ourselves that we live in an age of improved utilities. 
The pioneers were the manufacturers of almost everything they used, not 
only their farming implements, but also the fabrics with which they were 
clothed. How different now. 

All earthly things are given to change, and the firesides of the pioneer 
period have given place to the furnaces and registers of today. But the re- 
membrance of the associations of the past has an attractive charm and a 
strong hold on our sentiments and affections. Though the scenes of our mem- 
ory may be darkened with the shadows of bereavements and of sorrows, yet 
it is still a cherished indulgence to recall them. The rose and the thorn grow 
on the same bush; so the remembrance of the past, of our friends who have 
"gone before," is mingled with both pleasure and sorrow. 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL, SOCIETY. 47 



THE COLONEL CRAWFORD EXPEDITION. 




COL. WILLIAM CRAWFORD. 



Interesting Address on the Crawford Expedition (1782) Delivered Before the 
the Seventh Annual Meeting of the Richland County Historical Society. 



No incident in Ohio's history has at- against the Sandusky Indians. Yet, 
tracted more widespread attention only recently have the real causes that 
than the Crawford campaign of 1782 led to it been carefully studied and 



48 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



deserved credit given to the heroic pat- 
riots who unselfishly ventured life and 
property therein. Undeservedly it has 
been characterized as a band of mar- 
auding butchers whose sole intent was 
to put to death the remnant of the Mor- 
avian Indians, and represented as sup- 
plemental in purpose to the Gnaden- 
hutten massacre of March 8, 1782, when 
96 Indians, said to be inoffensive, 
were ruthlessly put to death. To cor- 
rectly understand the causes that led 
to this memorable expedition we 
should keep in mind a few historical 
facts which I will here briefly notice- 
England was the actual enemy at war 
with America; the Indians were em- 
ployed as her allies. The Revolution- 
ary war had waned in the east on ac- 
count of the capture of Cornwallis and 
his army at Yorktown, Oct. 19, 1781, 
No treaty of peace had been made and 
the bitter feeling of the English and 
their tory constituency of the west had 
increased rather than diminished. By 
the aid of the most atrocious and un- 
scrupulous agents ever employed by a 
civilized government, England had 
hired the western Indians to perform 
deeds of extreme cruelty. She paid 
the savages to kill and scalp Ameri- 
can settlers, to burn their buildings 
and destroy their crops. In additon to 
this she promised that the Indians 
should have the region north of the 
Ohio, as a perpetual hunting ground. A 
few English officers may have mildly 
reprimanded the Indians because of 
shameful deeds, but the authorities 
never broke with them nor withheld the 
reward. In proof of this culpable con- 
duct on the part of Britain many facts 
can be cited- For example the Indian 
chief Brant was dressed in the uniform 
of a British captain at Cherry Vale on 
Dec. 10, 1778, where fifty men, women 
and Ci---dren were murdered in cold 
blood. English officers were present 
during the awful carnage of Wyoming 
Valley and saw the helpless and inno- 
cent white people slain, and pretended 



they could not control the Indians, yet 
they never severed their relations with 
them, but tried to justify themselves 
by exaggerated accounts of American 
retaliation. In the summer of 1781 Col. 
Luchry and a party oi 40 men were 
butchered near the mouth of the Lit- 
tle Miami after they had surrendered 
and protection promised. Girty, Mc- 
Kee and Elliott, ingrate and renegade 
white men were employed agents of 
England, and the two latter wore the 
British uniforms of captains in the 
battle of Sandusky Plains and witness- 
ed the torture of Crawford without 
making remonstrance. Guns and am- 
munition were furnished the savages 
by Britain and her coat of arms was 
etched on their powder horns. It may 
seem out of place in these days when 
England is making a loud boast of 
love and friendship for America, but 
nevertheless it is an undeniable fact 
that the basest deeds and most cruel 
brutalities that stain the annals of 
border warfare are directly chargeable 
to English influence. 

The Crawford campaign was forced 
on the country by the oft-repeated ex- 
cursions of these British hirelings and 
their numerous deeds of murderous 
cruelty. Six hundred miles of our 
western frontier had been mercilessly 
harrassed until there was scarcely a 
mile but had witnessed scenes of sav- 
age murder and bloodshed. It blazed 
with midnight fire and was red with 
innocent blood. Painted Indians with 
scores of scalps dangling from their 
belts boasted to British agents of their 
horrid work and received pay for these 
evidences of inhuman crime. These 
barbarous marauding parties continued 
to ransack the settlements, and com- 
mit these deeds of butchery until a 
spirit of just revenge swelled the bos- 
oms of our pioneer fathers and Gna^ 
denhutten was one of the results. They 
had suffered under the lash of con- 
stant fear until human forbearance 
could endure no longer and all feeling 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



49 



of compassion for an Indian was driv- 
en from their breasts. I cannot refrain 
from admiring the Boones, Wetzels, 
Brady's, Kenton's, Ross, Leets, Poes 
and others even if they did occasion- 
ally skin the top of an Indian's head, 
nor would I have blamed them much 
if they had pealed the heads of a few 
British officers who incited the savages 
to these dreadful outrages. 

Heartrending tales and pitiful ap- 
peals for protection were daily poured 
into the ears of Gen. Irvine then in 
command of the American forces west 
of the Alleghenies with headquarters 
at Pittsburg. Something must be done 
to protect the settlers or give up the 
Ohio Valley. The center from which 
these Indian forays came was the San- 
dusky Plains. From this quarter 
scores of marauding parties were sent 
to all parts of the frontier. It was a 
strategic point for the allies of Great 
Britain The English headquarters 
were at Detroit and from thence arms 
and other war supplies were sent down 
the lakes and up the Sandusky river 
to the head of Canoe navigation where 
the portage to the head waters of the 
Scioto river was only a few miles and 
thus they could reach all parts of the 
west and southwest. Many were the 
visits of warriors from the west to 
this place to obtain supplies. It was 
thought by Irvine and his advisers 
that an effective blow struck here de- 
feating the Indians and destroying 
their villages would give the settlers 
rest and might result in a treaty of 
peace with them which would stop 
their excursions until a treaty with 
Great Britain should be effected. The 
plan was based on the hope of taking 
the Indians by surprise. It was laid 
before Gen. Washington and received 
his approval- The continental troops 
at Fort Pitt were only sufficient for de- 
fense, and the enterprise was too dan- 
gerous for militia. Therefore Gen. Ir- 
vine issued a call for volunteer horse- 
men. Each man was to furnish his 
own horse and thirty days' provisions. 



Mingo Bottom was fixed upon as the 
place and May 20, 1782, as the time 
of rendezvous. Volunteering pro- 
gl-essed rapidly. Men who did not own 
a horse and equippage were furnished 
the same by others who could not go. 
The troops were to be permitted to 
elect all their own officers, but Gen. 
Irvine was not slow to make it known 
that he desired that Col. "William 
Crawford should be chosen leader. 

Col. Crawford did not fully endorse 
the plan of the campaign. He objected 
on the ground that they could not reap 
the full benefit of victory should they 
win. His own plan outlined three 
years before was to build a line of 
forts as they advanced and garrison 
and provision these that in case of de- 
feat in open fight they would have a 
rallying point, and thus hold every 
inch of ground they won. This plan 
was afterward adopted, in the main, 
by Wayne, in his advance northward 
from Cincinnati. An Indian town had 
no essential value, the houses being 
made of bark and hence it would work 
no great discomforts to them if a few 
villages were destroyed. Crawford 
hesitated about volunteering until his 
son John, nephew William (son of Val- 
entine Crawford) )and son-in-law Wil- 
liam Harrison, had enlisted and they 
finally persuaded him to do the same. 

The volunteers began to gather on 
the 20th and proceeded to organize un- 
der the county marshals, Crawford go- 
ing by the way of Pittsburg, reached 
the rendezvous on the 22nd, was elect- 
ed chief in comnjand the 24th, and 
Col. Williamson was made field major, 
and second in command. Thomas Gad- 

dis, John McCelland, Brickston 

were elected field majors and Daniel 
Leet, brigadier major. Gen. Irvine sent 
Lieut. Rose of the continentals to be 
aide de camp to the commander, and 
Dr. Knight to be surgeon. John Slo- 
ver, Jonathan Zane and John Nichols 
were chosen guides. Among the troops 
were many experienced scouts and In- 
dian hunters of whom Wetzel, Brady, 



50 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



Ross, Pentecost and the two Poes. Ev- 
ery man understood the desperate 
character of the enterprise. Crawford 
had made his will and bade his family 
an affectionate farewell before leaving. 
Touching scenes were witnessed as 
these brave men left to defend home 
and loved ones, there were streaming 
eyes, prolonged hand shakes, and good 
bye kisses as there would be now 
should the hope of the home go off to 
war. 

The troop consisting of 480 well 
mounted men left Mingo Bottom the 
25th of May, entering a great forest 
with scarcely a stick amiss (but we 
will speak of the places as now named 
to make the line of march understood.) 
The night of the 29th they camped at 
Shoenbrun, Tuscarawas Co.., the 30th 
at Butler Spring in Holmes Co.. the 
31st at Newkirk Spring, within Wayne 
Co., north of Lake Odell. In Rich- 
land county they slaked their thirst 
at a spring now in Mansfield and 
camped at Spring Mills the night of 
the 1st of June. The night of the ."nd 
they camped by the Sandusky at a 
spring near Leesville. The 3rd they 
emerged from the tall forests into the 
open plain, about 9 o'clock and spent 
the night near the Little Sandusky. 
The 4th they cautiously advanced to 
the place of destination, a Wyandot 
town in Crane Township of Wyandot 
county. It was vacant and showed 
evidences of having been deserted for 
weeks. Here was general disappoint- 
ment. The expedition could not be a 
surprise. A council decided to march 
to the lower villages. An hour later 
the men complained that they only had 
provisions in reserve for five days 
more. Guide Zane boldly advised re- 
treat and it is said Crawford endorsed 
his counsel. But brave men, volun- 
teers conducting a campaign at their 
own expense could not bear the 
thought of returning home without 
seeing the enemy and doing something 
in defense of their loved ones. They 
compromised by agreeing to go for- 



ward the remainder of that afternoon 
but no longer. Soon the scouts came 
back with word that they had seen In- 
dians. Quickly the little army was 
alert and eager for the conflict. The 
Indians were seen hastening into a 
grove on a rising knoll, since called 
Battle Island. Crawford discerning 
the advantage of this position ordered 
part of the men to dismount and ad- 
vance rapidly. This prompt action se- 
cured them an advantageous position 
which probably saved the army from 
being overwhelmed. Then followed a 
sharp battle in which 500 Delawares, 
600 Wyandots and Lake Indians, aided 
by two companies of British from Ft. 
Sandusky, fought for three hours to 
retake the lost position and at sunset 
withdrew defeated. The morning of 
the 5th the enemy were shy of the fa- 
tal rifles of Crawford's men. When 
pressed they would shrink back and 
conceal themselves in the tall prairie 
grass- The army was weary from a 
long forced march, some were sick, 
nineteen wounded were to be cared for, 
and the day was hot and sultry. But 
the men were full of confidence, and 
orders were cheerfully obeyed- About 
3 o'clock affairs took a serious change. 
A large body of Shawnees joined the 
enemy, and additional Lake Indians 
were seen coming from the north. 
Then to the consternation of the vol- 
unteers a large body of well trained 
cavalry came galloping into view. 
Quickly the word flew from lip to lip 
that they were Butler's Rangers from 
Detroit Indians and British were ar- 
riving every hour. A council was held 
and it is said that even then some 
daring propositions were made, but 
they decided to retreat over the route 
they had come as soon as darkness 
should favor. Major McClelland was 
to have charge of the front, the wound- 
ed were to be kept in the center, and 
Williamson and Leet were to keep back 
the enemy in the rear. It was 9 o'clock 
before they were ready to start. The 
enemy had anticipatea their purpose 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



51 



and began a fierce attack in front. Ma- 
jor McClelland was fatally wounded 
and had to be left on the field. The 
rear was sharply assaulted. Major 
Leet with ninety men charged the 
enemy and broke through their ranks 
and threw them into confusion, but 
kept on to the west for an hour and 
then turned sharply to the south and 
passed through the northeast corner 
of Marion county, struck the Owl Creek 
and Vernon river trail to Coshocton 
and then over the route of Bougart on 
to MingO' Bottom. Leet's bold move 
must have confused the enemy for it 
seems, according to all accounts, there 
was no systematic attack on the rear 
of the main body until long after day- 
light of the sixth. Crawford not know- 
ing that McClellan had fallen, com- 
plained of undue haste and neglect of 
the wounded. Then missing his son, 
son-in-law, nephew and Lieut. Rose, he 
rode toward the rear, loudly calling 
their names and was seen no more by 
the army. 

The main body, much confused by 
the attack of the Delawares and Shaw- 
nees in their front and by some of the 
companies becoming entangled in a 
marsh where a good many horses were 
lost, reached the deserted village of 
the Wyandots about daylight of the 
6th. Here a halt was called, and scat- 
tered companies came in until they 
numbered nearly 300. Crawford was 
missed and Col. Williamson assumed 
command and assisted by Lieut. Rose 
soon brought order out of chaos and 
the retreat continued- Toward the 
middle of the forenoon the British 
Light horse and mounted Indians be- 
gan to make their appearance and an- 
noy the rear and flanks by making bold 
rushes, each time growing more ir- 
ritating. Near where a small stream 
enters the Whetstone Williamson 
hastily drew up a part of his men, re- 
solved to teach the enemy a lesson and 
if possible put a stop to these harrass- 
ing dashes. The enemy came on as if 
expecting to annihilate their toe when 



they were met with such a deadly fire 
from the ambushed Americans that 
many a trooper fell to the earth and 
the others got out of range as soon as 
possible. It was soon over, but they 
were so severely punished that they 
did not attempt another attack on the 
rear, but contented themselves with 
firing at long range and picking up 
stragglers. This has been called the 
Battle of the Olentangy and deserves 
much more notice than I have time to 
give it. The troop went into camp at 
the Leesville Spring and during the 
night were not disturbed. Early the 
morning of the 7th of June they were 
in the saddle. The enemy made their 
appearance and fired a few shots from 
a safe distance, the last shot was not 
far west of where Crestline now stands 
and then they abandoned the pursuit 
No stop was made at Spring Mills 
unless it was to slake the thirst and 
fill their canteens, but they passed on 
to the spring now in the city of Mans- 
field and ate their scant lunch. That 
was 123 years ago today. Let our 
imagination remove this city with its 
business blocks, busy shops and lovely 
homes for a few minutes, that we may 
reclothe this hill with its primitive 
forest of magnificent arches, whisper- 
ing leaves, and sublime silence and 
watch this tired little army come in 
and see the weary men fling them- 
selves from the saddles, quench their 
thirst from these springs, give drink 
to their horses, eat a hurried meal, re- 
mount and hasten on. 

The night of the 7th the front camp- 
ed by the Rainey or Newkirk spring 
while the rear stopped at a spring 
above Long Lake. Two men died in 
the ramp of the rear guard. They were 
buried in one grave and a log heap was 
burned over them to keep the Indians 
from finding the grave and scalping the 
dead. The enemy did not molest them 
in this camp, which was not broken 
until noon of the 8th. From here for- 
ward discipline was relaxed and by 
easy marches they reached Mingo Bot- 



52 PROCEEDINGS OP RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



torn, on the 13th. Leet and his com- 
pany had just arrived and a few others 
who had outran the main body were 
also there. On the 14th 380 men were 
discharged, others came straggling 
home until the total loss of men did 
not exceed 70. The state of Pennsyl- 
vania afterward paid the men and set- 
tled their losses. It is much to be re- 
gretted that no complete roster of this 
gallant troop has ever been found. 

Capt. William Caldwell was in com- 
mand of the British and Indians.. He 
was wounded shortly after the retreat 
commenced and Lieut John Turney 
succeeded to the command. Caldwell 
in his report now on file with the Eng- 
ish archives of the war says: "Our 
losses are very inconsiderazle. One 
ranger killed, myself and two wound- 
ed; LeVellier, the interprettr killed; 
four Indians killed and eight wound- 
e(j. * * * The enemy were totally de- 
moralized." Survivors of Crawford's 
army, neighbors of the writer's moth- 
er, gave quite a different account of 
the British-Indian losses. They never 
admitted that the Americans were 
whipped by the Indians but it was tne 
presence of British cavalry and the ru- 
mor of artillery that induced them 
to retreat. The fact that about 300 re- 
treated in one body and 90 in another 
is evidence that they were not totally 
demoralized. The confusion of the 
enemy must have been equal to that of 
the Americans or they would have 
fallen on the flank and rear and totally 
destroyed the army. America had no 
more accurate marksmen than were in 
this troop, men accustomed to Indian 
fighting, and who took deliberate aim 
before pulling the trigger. It is not 
probable, nor believable, that the foe 
tried for three hours to retake the lost 
position of Battle Island and only lost 
four killed and eight wounded. Leet's 
descendants claimed there were 15 
dead Indians left when they were run 
out of the grove and others dead or 
wounded were being carried out by 
their comrades. 



The Allisons, intimate friends of Col. 
Crawford, claim that Pipe in a fiery 
speech just prior to the burning of 
Crawford, stirred the Indian blood 
by saying, "The blood of a hundred of 
our brothers slain in battle calls for 
vengeance." Many are the tales of 
how saddles were emptied by the fatal 
volley fired at the Rangers and In- 
dians near the Olentangy. One thing 
is true, the Rangers never after came 
near enough to receive another such 
volley. We have a right to be proud of 
the fact that the retreat was skillfully 
and successfully conducted and the 
battle against large odds no disgrace to 
the splendid reputation of the Ameri- 
can volunteer. 

Why did the expedition fail to ac- 
complish expected results? Well, 
some things must be charged to the 
unavoidable. Our government at that 
time strained by the cost of the Rev- 
olutionary war felt too poor to send 
out an expensive expedition of regular 
troops who could conquer and hold ev-^ 
ery foot as they advanced. Gen. Irvine 
was forced to yield to the demands for 
protection and was therefore compell- 
ed to resort to a cheap expedition the 
cost of which was first borne by the 
volunteers and their friends. Con- 
gress made up at that time of eastern 
men evidently did not comprehend the 
situation in the west, and even Gen. 
Washington does not seem to have 
fully apprehended the gigantic effort 
England was making to sneak into 
our national backdoor until the St. 
Clair defeat of 1791 gave him a shock 
that opened his eyes. The fatal mis- 
take of the Crawford campaign was to 
suppose that they could surprise the 
British Indians. No sooner had Ir- 
vine given the order to raise and equip 
an army than tories acting as British 
spies carried the news to Indian run- 
ners, stationed along the border, who 
hastened with all speed to Detroit and 
informed De Peyster, who really had 
as much time to get his men on the 
field as had Irvine. Every Indian town 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 53 



was speedily alarmed and the haughty 
warriors painted and plumed them- 
selves and hurried to their rendezvous; 
and, confident of their numbers, were 
just as impatient for the conflict as 
were the whites. The little army was 
watched frorn the moment it left Min- 
go Bottom, to the hour of battle. No 
sooner was the camp vacated each 
morning than cunning Indian spies 
slipped in to hunt for any scrap of 
evidence of the intentions of the vol- 
unteers and carried it to headquarters. 
Crawford careful to guard against sur- 
prise or ambuscade rushed on to his 
fate, not knowing that he must fight 
a combined army of English and In- 
dians. Irvine naturally shielded his 
own reputation in this matter by say- 
ing his orders were not exactly obeyed, 
yet no great blame can be charged 
against him^ hence we come back to 
the conclusion, the disaster was un- 
avoidable. 

Col. Crawford vainly searching for 
his missing relatives, met Dr. Knight 
and begged him to go with him. They 
fell in with Capt. Biggs and Lieut. 
Ashley (the latter wounded) and four 
others. Before they were aware of it 
they were isolated from the troops. 
Recognizing the folly of following in 
the wake of the army they journeyed 
north about an hour and then turned 
due east. Crawford's exhausted horse 
had to be left and part on foot and 
part on horseback they kept on until 
about noon of the seventh. Butterfield 
says they bore to the southeast and 
struck the trail of the main army near 
Leesville and soon after walked into 
an ambuscade of Delaware Indians. 
Knight and the others prepared to 
fight. Crawford persuaded them to 
surrender. He had good reason to 
think they would be turned over to the 
British as prisoners of war because of 
the presence of English troops during 
the battle. They were taken to the 
Delaware camp where were nine other 
prisoners. From this camp they were 
all taken to a camp near Upper San- 



dusky, the village of the Half King. 
From here Crawford was taken to the 
village where he had an interview with 
Simon Girty, who promised to exert 
his influence to save his life, with 
probably no intention of doing It. 
Crawford was carefully kept out of 
sight of the Half King and returned 
to the Delaware camp. A day or two 
later Pipe and Wigeund, Delaware 
chiefs of fame, came in. Crawford 
had seen these men before and they 
professed great pleasure at meeting 
him. They may have been glad but 
it was not the joy of friendship but 
that of the tiger waiting to consume 
his prey. Pipe with his own hand 
painted Crawford, Knight and the 
others black, and started them toward 
the Wyandot villaee. but soon the 
course was changed in the direction of 
the Delaware village on the Little Ty- 
mochtee. During the journey four of 
the prisoners were tomahawked by the 
warriors. At the village all the pris- 
oners were made to sit on the ground 
and squaws and boys sunk their tom- 
ahawks into the brains of flve and 
tore the scalps from their heads, leav- 
ing Crawford and Knight for another 
occasion. A brutal squaw cut off the 
head of John McKinley and it was 
tossed against the prisoners and kicked 
about on the ground. 

It was here Crawford and Knight 
gave up all hope of life. After an 
hour of this grewsome entertainment 
they were commanded to get up and 
move on. It was then about 1 o'clock 
of the 11th of June. In a short time 
they met Simon Girty and Elliott (and 
some say McKee). Girty spoke to 
Crawford, but made no effort to save 
his life. As they neared the Big Ty- 
mochtee every Indian boy or squaw 
they met struck the captives in the 
face with their first or a stick. At last 
they came to the stream near which 
was a fire and a stake about 15 feet 
high set in the ground. On the oppo- 
posite side was a low knoll with a 
grove of trees on it- A company of 



54 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



30 or 40 warriors and about 60 squaws 
and boys were gathered about the fire. 
Crawford was now stripped naked and 
ordered to sit down. His hands were 
tied behind him and a rope passed be- 
tween them and tied to the stake, al- 
lowing length sufficient to walk about 
twice around the stake and to lie 
down. Crawford asked Girty if they 
intended to burn him and the white 
savage answered yes. He replied that 
he would try to endure it like a man. 
At this point Chief Pipe made a speech 
at the conclusion of which the Indians 
all set up a yell and the warriors 
grasped their guns and shot Crawford's 
body full of burnt powder from heels 
to neck. They crowded around him 
and when they drew away blood was 
trickling down his neck and shoulders 
as if his ears had been cut off. The 
fire was made about 12 feet from the 
stake and consisted of hickory poles 
ten or twelve feet long, so laid on as 
to burn off in the middle leaving each 
end a firebrand. Three or four Indians 
at a time would each take up a pole 
and "re-'S the fiery end against the 
naked body of their victim, then others 
with fr'^sh brands, would take their 
places. No matter which way he turn- 
ed he was met and poked with the 
blazing fagots, thus slowly roasting the 
flesh until in places it fell from the 
bones and the air was made foul with 
the stench. After enduring this awful 
torture without uttering a word or 
making an outcry the suffering man 
delirious with pain turned to Girty 
and begged him to shoot him. At first 
this inhuman ingrate made no reply, 
but to the second urgent appeal he an- 
swered: "I have no gun," and turning 
to a red savage he made some sneer- 
ing remark and laughed as if the pain- 
ful scene greatly delighted him. Craw- 
ford was walking on a bed of hot coals 
and his smoking feet were burned to 
a crisp. At last he grew faint and 
fell on his face. Immediately a savage 
tore the scalp from his chead and a 
hideous old squaw scooped a wooden 



shovel-full of hot coals and poured 
them on his head and back. He strug- 
gled to his feet and for a few moments 
longer staggered back and forth call- 
ing on God to have mercy on his soul 
and to take care of his family. He 
then fell to rise no more and pitying 
angels threw back the portals of death 
through which the spirit of this noble 
patriot and unselfish hero passed into 
the presence of a compassionate 
Judge where he could bathe his releas- 
ed soul in the cooling River of Life. If 
vengeance can be a satisfaction to 
wicked hearts, surely British malign- 
ity and savage cruelty could rejoice to- 
gether over a scene like this. Let the 
curtain drop. Though the thick mist 
of nearly a century and a quarter hides 
the awful scene, yet the yell of the 
savage and the laugh of the white de- 
mon still resound in our ears and dis- 
turbs our dream of man's final broth- 
erhood. 

Crawford died like a hero. If, as has 
been said, the blood of the martyrs 
is the seed of the church, then may we 
not say the blood of our martyred fore- 
fathers is the seed of tfen thousand 
happy homes? Yea, more, the grand- 
est free commonwealth on the face of 
earth. England thought to hold back 
this beautiful Ohio country as a herd- 
ing place for tawny Indians, indolent 
savages. But thank God the power of 
liberty could not be staid by the hand 
of monarchy. The smoke of our blaz- 
ing cabins and cherished martyrs 
cleared away and freedom's hand 
planted a constitutional government. 
O, England look, see tne mighty tide 
of immigration rise above the AUe- 
ghenies and sweep with resistless flow 
across the hills and plains of Ohio, 
and behold the wilderness changed into 
blooming fields rich with the fruitage 
of faithful husbandry. In fifty years 
from the time you bought the scalps 
of our ancestors of the frontier, one 
million and a half of people had set- 
tled on the banks of the Ohio. But 
once again look, O ye lords of Eng- 



PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



55 



land! Today there are four and a 
quarter millions of people in this one 
state. Count the church steeples 
pointing toward the heaven of the God 
we worship; count the school houses 
of country and town with their thou- 
sands of well dressed girls and boys; 
count the villages and cities each a 
free republic; count the factories send- 
ing the smoke of industry high into 



the clouds; count the railways with 
their flying palaces; measure the 
wheat and the oil that are feeding and 
lighting all parts of the earth. Then 
fall on your knees, O ye lords of Eng- 
land, and thank the mighty God that 
you were not permitted in your years 
of despotism to retain a land like this 
to make it a habitation of cruel sav- 
ages. 





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A PIONEER BLOCK HOUSE. 



Future Publication. 

It is the intention of the officers of the Historical Society to issue a pub- 
lication similar to this each successive year in the future, and distribute the 
same gratuitously to the members of the society. Membership certificates 
are one dollar and can be obtained of the secretary at any time. 



56 PROCEEDINGS OF RICHLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



Richland County in the Civil War. 



Within five days after President Lincoln issued his first call for troops 
at the commencement of the Civil War, Richland county responded with six 
companies, averaging one hundred men each. The Captains of these compa- 
nies were: William McLaughlin, A. C. Cummins, Miller Moody, Moses R. 
Dickey, George Weaver and John W. Beeknian. 

The President's call was for seventy-five thousand men, of which num- 
ber Ohio's quota was ten thousand, one hundred and fifty-three. Over thirty 
regiments were offered, of which twelve thousand, three hundred and fifty- 
seven men were accepted. This was called the First-Call service, and its 
distinctive features are commemorated by First-Call reunions. There is a 
First-Call association of a national character, which held its meeting in 
Mansfield a few years since. 




CART. MILLER MOODY. 



There is also a local organization of First-Call troops in the county 
called the "Captain Moody Association," which holds annual reunions at 
Bellville where the company was organized. This company was the first to 
cross the river, and was in the fight at Phillippi, the first battle of the Civil 
War. It was Company I, Sixteenth Ohio Infantry. Captain Moody was a 
graduate of Kenyon college and had been a member of the Ohio Legislature. 
At the close of the first-call service, he was commissioned a captain in the 
Fifty-ninth New York Infantry. He died of wounds received at the battle of 
Antietam, after suffering five amputations. The G. A. R. Post at Bellville is 
named for him. 

It is the intention of the Historical Society to give pages in its future 
publications upon the subject of "Richland County in the Civil War." 



/ SHIELD 

'' JOB ROOMS 

PRINT 



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##4*4'4'#4*^.. ^0. 014 750 59 1' 

THE HISTORY 



OF 



THE MANSFIELD, OHIO, 



NEWS 



IS THE HISTORY OF A 
NEWSPAPER SUCCESS, 



Dates Marking Progress in Tiie History of THE NEWS 

MARCH 7, 1885— Established the first daily paper in Mansfield. 
MARCH 7, 1^86— Purchased and consolidated The Ohio Liberal. 
MAY 29, 1890— Increased the Daily to 8 col. folio. 
FEBY. 9, 1 89 1 — Moved into its own four story building, the 

most complete newspaper plant in any city of 

its size in Ohio. 
MARCH i, J89I— Price of The Weekly reduced to $1.00 per year. 
APRIL J 8, J 892— Increased Daily to 9 col. folio. 
JAN. 2, J 893 — Increased Daily to 7 col-, 6 pages printed on 

Web perfecting press. 
JULY J , 1 894 — Typesetting machines placed in composing room 
OCT. I90I— Addition to The NEWS building completed. 

JAN. 3, J 902 — Installed double deck color perfecting press with 
capacity of 1 3,000 J 6 page newspapers per hour 
JUNE 13, 1904 — Secured full Associated Press Telegraph Fran- 
chise, with wire and operator in editorial rooms 






:«§* 






THE INEWS is the recognized leading newspaper of Mansfield, 
having more than double the circulation of the only other daily in the city. 
It is in every respect a newspaper, popular with all classes, clean, newsy, 
bright and enterprising. 

It has the readers It has the standing It has the influence, 

SU3SCRIPTIOIN RATES: Delivered by carrier, loc per 
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